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 30, 2026

By Dan King · Lead Guide, King Trout Outfitters

Bow River fly fishing conditions in Calgary on July 30, 2026: clean, clear blue-green summer water running low at 151 cms through downtown Calgary past the skyline, Calgary Tower and Centre Street Bridge, prime guided Bow River trout water from King Trout Outfitters — The Bow River through downtown Calgary on July 30, 2026. Clean, low summer water down to 151 cms, the lowest and clearest it's run all season. Clear skies, and the river's in prime shape for guided Bow River fly fishing. (Timestamp shown is from the camera.) Source: Calgary Live Camera (DELTATECH) on YouTube →

Bow River fishing conditions for the week of July 30, 2026 are good. Flow is 151 cubic meters per second and falling. Water temperature is 19°C. No angling restrictions are in effect. Active hatches include Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants/Beetles), Caddis, Trico, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Yellow Sally.

151

Flow (m³/s) ↓

19°C

Water Temp ↑

good

Overall Conditions

None

Restrictions

iFlow context: The Bow just stepped down again, and this time it broke into the 150s. We're reading 151 cms this morning, down from 173 on Monday and the lowest the river has run all summer. The week held steady in the mid-170s, then the bottom dropped out overnight. No rain, no spikes, just a clean late-summer slide. That's still above the 90 cms baseline, but this is the lowest, clearest, most settled water since the June 30 flood near 558. Easy wading, clean floats, and fish holding exactly where they should be. Prime late-summer Bow, arriving right on schedule. 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 151 cms running this week.

What Are Conditions Like on the Bow River This Week?

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Dan King

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

The Bow broke into the 150s this morning. We're at 151 cms as I write this, the lowest the river's run all summer, down from 173 on Monday with no rain in sight. It's low, it's clear, and it's fishing like the middle of August showed up a week early. Still calling it good. Hoppers are the story now. Big foam bugs tight to the grass on a warm windy afternoon, and the browns are coming up to meet them. If they get picky, drop down to a little foam ant. Evening caddis is still the best pure bite of the day, thick in the last two hours of light, and the Tricos are there on calm mornings for the small-fly crowd. But here's the thing about water this low. It warms up fast. Temps are pushing 19 and the afternoons are cooking, so I've been putting the boat in before first light and getting off by early afternoon. Best water of the day, and you've got the river to yourself. No closures yet, but check My Wild Alberta the morning you go. August is booking up. If you want prime late-summer water, this is it.

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 Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants/Beetles), Caddis, Trico, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Yellow Sally. That is why our guides are fishing patterns like Foam Hopper, Chubby Chernobyl, Foam Ant 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
Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants/Beetles)	#8-16	heavy
Caddis	#14-18	heavy
Trico	#20-24	moderate
Pale Morning Dun (PMD)	#16-18	moderate
Yellow Sally	#14-16	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

Foam Hopper

#8-12dry

Chubby Chernobyl

#8-10dry

Foam Ant

#14-16dry

Elk Hair Caddis

#14-16dry

Pheasant Tail

#14-16nymph

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 stays the coldest, clearest water on the river, and at 151 cms it's as friendly as this reach gets. The Ghost keeps it cool while the rest of the Bow warms, so the midday window lasts longer up here than anywhere else. Tricos are riding the calm mornings, and that spinner fall on a #20 or #22 with light tippet is the technical game the upper river does best. Through the day it's hopper-dropper, a foam bug with a Pheasant Tail a couple feet under it, worked along the inside seams. One thing about water this low and clear. The fish see everything. Long leaders, quiet wading, and don't stand where you should be casting.

City Section

Bearspaw to Carseland

The city stretch is in full hopper mode. The water's low, tight to the banks, and the browns are set up along the grass edges waiting for something big to fall in. A warm afternoon with wind is your friend here. Throw the foam bug right against the bank, and if they won't commit, hang a small ant off the back. That change-up has been the difference this week. Evening caddis is still the bite of the day, thick from Carburn down through Policeman's Flats in the last two hours of light. And with temps pushing 19, the smart play in town is simple. Fish the morning, fish the evening, and give the river the hot middle of the day off.

Lower Bow

South of Calgary

McKinnon Flats down to Carseland is low, clear, and holding good fish, but it's also the warmest water on the river right now. So this reach is an early-morning show. Put the boat in at first light, fish the cool hours hard with a hopper-dropper tight to the banks, and swing an Olive Woolly Bugger through the deeper runs before the sun gets on the water. By early afternoon, let it rest. The browns down here rode out the June flood and they're eating well, but a 19-degree afternoon is no time to be stretching a fight out. Get them in quick, keep them wet, and let them go strong.