Does anyone have any current fishing reports? Thinking about heading there for summer vacation with the family but after reading about the fish kill in 2016 and the run off from wildfires in 2018 I am hesitant. I can’t find any dependable sounding reports on the web. Any other compatible River/ streams in Colorado that would would be a family destination ?

Check out the Gunnison area, You have Taylor park to the North, Blue Mesa, the Gunnison river, the Taylor river.
Beautiful area

silverthorne/frisco, keystone/breckenridge area with the blue river, colorado headwaters, green mt. res., colorado river in glenwood canyon.

do a multi day raft trip on the dolores if there is water in it, excellent trout fishing with pool drop making it fairly easy.

the gunison area would be good like posted above as well. taylor reservoir has some great bank fishing where the river comes in, kiddos can fish there real easy, salmon eggs and power bait.

you can still do durango, you have the piedra river from 160 up to hunters campground, below navajo in the quality waters and that stretch is guided so you can pick up a guide and fish a good stretch of it.
vallecito and lemon reservoirs, plenty of places to stay, used to be some good natives above lemon and the kokanee from either lake are always good for table fare.

Stay away from the Piedra area. There won't be any water in it again this year. The animas is fishing well this spring, but it will be low and warm after about August 1st. Check out Duranglers website for up to date and accurate information on the Animas, Paco, San Juan, and mountain creeks.

I have fished and stayed at almost every body of water south of I-70. It all depends on what you want to get out of it. Family stuff and easy fishing? Crested Butte/Gunnison. Remote fun? Conejos and tributaries. Big fish? Ridgway (paco) and Gunnison Gorge. MOuntain camping and scenery? Cimarron forks and Silver Jack reservoir. Little mountain town with endless fishing nearby? Lake City. Family rafting, drinking, and good fishing? Buena Vista and Salida (arkansas river). send me a pm of what you want to do, i'll recommend.

not sure if you've gone on your trip yet. but I was in durango a couple weeks ago, and the animas had reached it peak and looked like yoohoo. the local hatchery in town said trout population was scarce because of all the runoff over last couple years. i managed to get to lemon reservoir a couple times... water level is low there. both duranglers and san juan fly shop suggested stillwater was the way to go. they recommended the north end where the Florida river feeds the reservoir, or check out vallecito. i didn't have any luck when I went to lemon, but it was definitely beautiful and peaceful. caddis had not yet hatched according to shops.

I drove from Durango back home yesterday but before leaving tried the river for an hour at first light. Caught one 12 inch rainbow drifting a Copper John and missed a couple hits because not enough light to see my float. Water was pretty clear.