How to Fly Fish: Freestones, Tailwaters & Spring Creeks - What’s the Difference?

Get to know each of the big three, and you'll be more prepared next time you're on the water.

Fly fishing the Frying Pan, one of Colorado's most productive tailwaters. | Photo by Jasper Taback

I’ve had lots of friends and family members ask me if I ever get bored of trout fishing. Fair question – I spend a lot of time doing it. The answer is no, of course, and it’s because no two days of trout fishing are the same.

Benefit Your Fly Fishing by Understanding the Type of River You Are Fishing

There are always new rivers and streams to explore – so many that it can feel overwhelming to categorize them, and easier to just group them under the monolithic label: “trout rivers”. The truth is, that’s a bit reductive – there are three main types that fish pretty differently, and it’s worth getting familiar with the characteristics of each. 

Freestone Trout Rivers

For many fly anglers, freestones are the gold standard among trout waters. Fed by snowmelt and rainfall, these rivers and streams rise and fall with the seasons, originating from small trickles of water high in the mountains. In the winter, when snow is frozen solid in the high country, flows will be low – in the spring, when all of that snow melts, the flows pick up and flood the freestone rivers and streams below. Many freestone rivers are fishable year-round, but you’ll have to adapt as the water changes with the seasons. 

Tailwater Trout Rivers

A tailwater is any stretch of river that flows downstream of a dam, and its water flow and temperature are regulated by regular releases from the dam. Because of the regularity, the intense fluctuations in water flow and temperature that you get with freestone rivers are not a concern in a tailwater. Insect hatches are more predictable than on freestones. Still, the trout tend to be pickier – the stable water conditions offer consistent food sources, allowing them to be more selective than freestone-dwelling trout that have to be more opportunistic with their feeding.

Spring Creeks

Spring creeks are far less common than freestones or tailwaters – these streams are fed from underground springs, and many areas simply don’t have enough groundwater coming to the surface to form fishable streams. Where they do form, spring creeks can offer fantastic trout fishing. The flows and temperature of groundwater stay relatively constant throughout the year, resulting in stable flows and temperature in the streams. Spring creeks flow low and clear, meaning that you’ll need to fish small flies and dial in your presentation. 

Make River-Specific Adjustments

Because freestones, tailwaters, and spring creeks all support trout differently, you’ll need to make changes to your game based on the water you’re fishing. Here are a few tips to keep in mind for each: 

Freestones: Work with the seasons – fish deep in the winter, and target insect hatches in the warmer months. Patterns don’t have to be exact imitations, just close enough.   

Tailwaters: Get technical. Tailwater trout can afford to be picky, so it’s crucial that your fly matches what’s on the menu at the time of year you’re fishing. 

Spring Creeks: Focus on your presentation. Gin-clear water requires small flies, long leaders, and light tippet. 

Be Open-Minded

It’s tempting to stay in your trout fishing comfort zone. I’m guilty of it – I like to fish freestones, and it takes a deliberate effort to get out to other types of rivers. A reminder for you and me both: there are a hell of a lot of trout rivers out there waiting to be explored.