The Rio Grande near Del Norte does not get the same press as some of Colorado’s more famous trout rivers and that is exactly what makes it so good. The Gold Medal designation covers a stretch of water that holds Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout in numbers and sizes that consistently surprise first-time visitors. The river runs cold and clear through canyon walls and open meadows, with hatches that shift through the season in ways that keep even experienced anglers engaged from first cast to last. Whether you are throwing dry flies during a Caddis hatch or working nymphs through a deep canyon run, this river has a way of making every day on the water feel like you found something the crowds have not caught up to yet.