A drift boat resting on the Bow River near Calgary with the far bank and a bridge in the distance

Fishing Reportgood

Bow River Fishing Report

Week of July 16, 2026

By Dan King · Lead Guide, King Trout Outfitters

Bow River running clean green-grey through downtown Calgary on July 16, 2026, under sunny summer skies, with the Centre Street Bridge and downtown skyline behind it — The Bow through downtown Calgary on July 16, 2026 — settled summer water. The flood brown is long gone and the river's a clean green-grey with good clarity. This is what a stable 210 cms looks like. (Timestamp shown is from the camera.) Source: Calgary Live Camera (DELTATECH) on YouTube →

Bow River fishing conditions for the week of July 16, 2026 are good. Flow is 210 cubic meters per second and stable. Water temperature is 16°C. No angling restrictions are in effect. Active hatches include Caddis, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Trico, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Yellow Sally, Golden Stonefly.

210

Flow (m³/s) →

16°C

Water Temp ↑

good

Overall Conditions

None

Restrictions

iFlow context: The Bow's parked at 210 cms and it's finally holding steady. We got a little rain bump midweek that nudged it up near 235 for a day or two, but it slid right back and it's been flat around 210 all week. That's the first stable stretch we've had since the June 30 spike near 558. Still a bit over twice the 90 cms summer baseline, but it's clean, it's settled, and it fishes like summer. Source: Environment Canada

A red FLYPOD drift boat with two anglers on the Bow River near Calgary, ready to launch for a guided fly fishing trip

On the Water

Do You Need a Boat to Fish the Bow River?

You can wade the Bow in spots, but most of the best water sits along banks and seams you can only reach by drift boat. That is why guided trips here run from a boat. It covers miles of productive water in a day and keeps you safer when flows are up, like the 210 cms running this week.

What Are Conditions Like on the Bow River This Week?

“

Dan King

Lead guide at King Trout Outfitters · 15+ years on the Bow River

The river's finally settled. We're at 210 cms and it's held flat all week, first stable stretch since that June 30 flood. Little rain bump midweek pushed it to 235 for a day but it dropped right back. The water's clean, the fish are in their summer lies, and I'm calling it good. This is dry fly season now. Evening caddis is the best bite on the river, thick in the last two hours of light. PMDs midday, Tricos on the calm mornings, and it's time to start throwing a hopper tight to the banks. I'm running dry-dropper most of the day and only nymphing deep in the heavier runs. Here's the one thing to watch. Water temp's up around 16 now and climbing with the summer heat. No closure on the Bow as I write this, but this is the stretch where heat closures start showing up, so check My Wild Alberta the morning you head out and fish early on the hot days. Trout stress in warm water and we release them all, so let's fish them right. July's about booked. August is open and it's setting up as prime. Let's get you a day.

Close-up of a wild brown trout held gently in hand showing distinctive spotted markings

What They're Eating

What Flies Are Working on the Bow River Right Now?

Right now the trout are keyed on Caddis, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Trico, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Yellow Sally, Golden Stonefly. That is why our guides are fishing patterns like Elk Hair Caddis, Foam Hopper, Chubby Chernobyl this week. Match what is hatching, get a clean drag-free drift, and you will move fish. The full fly chart for this week is right below.

What Hatches Are Active on the Bow River?

Insect	Hook Size	Activity
Caddis	#14-18	heavy
Pale Morning Dun (PMD)	#16-18	moderate
Trico	#20-24	moderate
Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants)	#8-16	moderate
Yellow Sally	#14-16	light
Golden Stonefly	#6-10	light

See the full month-by-month Bow River Hatch Chart →

What Flies Are Working This Week?

Close-up of a hand selecting a fly from a well-stocked fly box

Elk Hair Caddis

#14-16dry

Foam Hopper

#8-12dry

Chubby Chernobyl

#8-10dry

Pheasant Tail

#14-16nymph

PMD Nymph

#16-18nymph

Olive Woolly Bugger

#4-6streamer

Pro Tip

No restrictions this week. Fish from dawn to dusk. The best window is mid-morning through late afternoon when the hatches are active and the water has warmed a few degrees.

Where Should You Fish the Bow River This Week?

Upper Bow

Above Bearspaw Dam

Above Bearspaw is dialed in. The Ghost keeps this reach clean and settled, and at a stable 210 it's the best wading water on the river right now. This is a dry-dropper reach all day. A Chubby or a hopper up top with a Pheasant Tail or a PMD nymph a couple feet under, worked along the seams and the inside edges. PMDs are coming off midday and the fish are up for them. And get here early for the Tricos. On a calm morning the spinner fall brings noses to the surface, and if you can get a #20 in front of them it's the prettiest fishing of the day. Small flies, light tippet, and a good drift.

City Section

Bearspaw to Carseland

The city stretch is fishing like it should in mid-July. Water's clean, fish are back in the seams and buckets, and the dry game is wide open. Dry-dropper through the day, a caddis or a hopper up top with a Pheasant Tail underneath. Start throwing the hopper tight to the grassy banks now, especially on a warm afternoon with a bit of wind. That's how July browns get caught. But the evening is still the main event. The caddis come off thick in the last two hours of light and the soft water from Carburn down through Policeman's Flats has fish eating on top. If the day's hot, fish the morning and the evening and take the middle off.

Lower Bow

South of Calgary

Below town toward McKinnon Flats and Carseland has come all the way back. It's got real visibility now and it's fishing well. This is the reach I've been waiting on all month. A hopper-dropper works down here, but I'm also swinging a Woolly Bugger tight to the banks early and late for the bigger fish. The evening caddis is heavy through the lower runs too. This is where the big browns that rode out the high water live, and now that it's clean, they're eating. Just watch the water temp down here. The lower river runs warmer than the city, so fish it early, and if it's a scorcher, give the fish a rest in the afternoon.