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

Fishing Reportfair

Bow River Fishing Report

Week of July 7, 2026

By Dan King · Lead Guide, King Trout Outfitters

Bow River fishing conditions for the week of July 7, 2026 are fair. Flow is 231 cubic meters per second and falling. Water temperature is 13°C. No angling restrictions are in effect. Active hatches include Caddis, Pale Morning Dun (PMD), Golden Stonefly, Yellow Sally, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Trico.

231

Flow (m³/s) ↓

13°C

Water Temp ↑

fair

Overall Conditions

None

Restrictions

iFlow context: The Bow's at 231 cms and it's dropped every single day for a week. That surge that peaked near 558 on June 30 is done. We're already back below where the river sat before it hit, and it's still sliding. Still about two and a half times the 90 cms summer baseline, but the direction is right. 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 231 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

Good news this week. The surge is over. That rain-and-runoff spike topped out near 558 cms on June 30, and the river has dropped every day since. Seven straight days. We're at 231 this morning, which is already below where the Bow sat before the bump hit, and it's still falling. So the river's coming back into shape fast. The water's still got color, but visibility improves every day, and the fish are feeding again after riding out the high water tight to the banks. The nymph game is the bread and butter right now. Pat's Rubber Legs with a worm dropper, deep along the edges and seams. But the dry fly window is cracking open. Evening caddis are getting eaten in the soft water, PMDs are showing midday, and I'm starting to fish a Chubby up top as the indicator. No heat closure right now, the water's still cool off the runoff, but check My Wild Alberta before you go. If this keeps sliding toward 180 and then 150, the next few weeks set up as prime summer fishing. This is the window to grab a July date before they're gone.

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), Golden Stonefly, Yellow Sally, Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants), Trico. That is why our guides are fishing patterns like Pat's Rubber Legs, San Juan Worm, Pheasant Tail 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	moderate
Pale Morning Dun (PMD)	#16-18	moderate
Golden Stonefly	#6-10	light
Yellow Sally	#14-16	light
Terrestrials (Hoppers/Ants)	#8-16	light
Trico	#20-24	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

Pat's Rubber Legs

#6-8nymph

San Juan Worm

#8-12nymph

Pheasant Tail

#14-16nymph

Chubby Chernobyl

#8-10dry

Elk Hair Caddis

#14-16dry

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 cleared first, like it always does after a bump. The Ghost reservoir settles the sediment out before it gets here, so this reach has the best visibility on the river right now. It's wadeable again if you pick your water and bring a staff. I'd run a dry-dropper. A Chubby Chernobyl up top with a Pheasant Tail or a small rubber-legs underneath, worked along the inside seams. And watch the soft edges midday. The PMDs are showing and the odd fish is starting to look up here. First reach where the dry game comes back.

City Section

Bearspaw to Carseland

The city stretch is fishing again at 231. Not the freight train it was a week ago. The Elbow's still adding a little color downtown, so it cleans up as you move below Inglewood. Fish are still bank-tight from the high water, and that's fine. That's where I want them. I'm floating it with a rubber-legs and a worm deep along the edges through the day, then switching to an Elk Hair Caddis the last hour of light. The evening caddis window is starting to produce in the soft water. Carburn down through Policeman's Flats is my pick this week.

Lower Bow

South of Calgary

Below town toward McKinnon Flats and Carseland is still carrying the most color, same as every drop-out. The Highwood holds this reach dirty longest. But it's fishable now, just fish it heavy. Streamers tight to the bank early, a big dark Woolly Bugger or a Sculpzilla worked slow, then stonefly nymphs and worms deep under an indicator through the runs. Skip the dries down here for another week. Once this reach clears behind the rest of the river, it's where the big browns show up. It's coming.