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Colorado fishing report, June 30
Published June 30, 2004 at midnight
Southwest region | Northwest region
Arvada Reservoir - Many fish of up to 18 inches are being caught in shallow water at all times of day, mostly on Power Bait and Crave Bait.
Aurora Reservoir - Good for trout off the dam with rainbow, orange or pink Power Bait on a slip rig from boats, fish crawlers or Power Bait off the bottom.
Barr Lake - Live minnows work best. All species seem to like them, including trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Bear Creek - When creek is clear, morning and evening fishing is very good with dry flies and some nymphs.
Bear Creek Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker rainbows using worms and rainbow or orange Power Bait.
Berkeley Lake - Trout are hitting on Power Bait, salmon eggs and small night crawlers.
Centennial Park Lake - Morning fishing for trout is fair to good on the north shore using live minnows or Tasmanian Devils.
Chatfield Ponds - Catfish continue to be caught on night crawlers, stinkbaits and hot dogs. Bass are hitting on live minnows, Roadrunners and Gulp Grubs. Best action seems to be early evening.
Chatfield Reservoir - Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing remains excellent. Shore casters are catching 10-30 fish a day around Catfish Flats and the handicap pier while trollers do equally well off boats. Leeches and night crawlers work best fished off the bottom in about 10 feet of water; use a float to keep the bait out of the rocks. For smallmouth, fish a live minnow beneath a bobber along the dam face.
Cherry Creek Reservoir - Wipers are active at various times of day but tend to cruise the face of the dam searching for schools of shad. When the water boils, expect good surface action with Rat-L-Traps, Frenzies, Thundersticks and Rapalas. Some keeper-sized walleyes are also caught along the dam toward the island.
Clear Creek (above Highway 119) - Trout have been hitting small Mepps and Vibrax spinners, caddis dries and Flashback Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail nymphs. Mornings are best.
Clear Lake - Slow, but anglers still can catch small rainbows and brookies with Power Bait or salmon eggs fished 10 feet deep.
Evergreen Lake - A lot of rainbows are being caught along the north shore on Power Bait and Crave Bait.
Georgetown Lake - Good with small night crawlers, Power Bait or a fly and bubble.
Gross Reservoir - Large lake trout have moved into deeper water and are hard to catch, but rainbows continue to hit night crawlers, Power Bait and Crave Bait.
Jim Baker Reservoir - Some trout are being caught on Power Bait and small night crawlers.
Main Lake - Good for bass.
Quincy Reservoir - Fair to good for bass using soft plastic crayfish or lizard imitations on Texas or Carolina rigs. Trout fishing is good with midges, Pheasant Tails and other patterns.
Rocky Mountain Lake - Slow, but some trout are still being caught on Power Bait, worms, or a fly and bubble.
Sloans Lake - Only a few stocked rainbows have been caught on salmon eggs and Crave Bait.
Smith Reservoir - In the daytime, cast spinnerbaits or Gulp plastic worms toward structure. In the evenings, use buzzbaits and Skitterpops.
South Platte River (Waterton Canyon) - The farther up the canyon you go the better. Try Pheasant Tails, Princes, Rock Worms, Stoneflies and Brassies. Lure casters are reporting success with small Tormentors.
Standley Lake - Good for wipers, crappie and walleyes near the inlet and cove. Stocker trout continue to be caught on Power Bait, worms and spinners.
Washington Park Lakes - Some trout have been on live minnows.
Webster Lake - Fair to good for stocked rainbows and perch.
NORTHEAST REGION
Barker Reservoir - Fair for trout using night crawlers, salmon eggs or Power Bait. Spinners work mornings and evenings.
Bellaire Lake - Good for trout using night crawlers, Sparkle Power Bait, Fireballs.
Big Creek Lakes - Excellent for lake trout and rainbows at the southwestern inlet of the lower lake.
Big Thompson Ponds - Good for catfish in the back pond.
Big Thompson River - Water is off-color but can be fished with small Colorado or Bear Valley spinners or beadhead nymphs.
Boulder Reservoir - Slow to fair for walleyes, best near the inlet. Bass are biting on minnows, worms or white jigs.
Boyd Lake - Fair to good for walleye and stocker trout.
Carter Reservoir - A few nice walleyes are being caught on harnessed crawlers, Erie Dearies and minnows. Fair to good for trout in the North Pines area.
Chambers Lake - Very good for trout using Sparkle Power Bait and Fireballs. Best place is on the back side between Fall Creek and the feeder stream to the north.
Douglas Reservoir - Good with Power Bait, Fireballs and red worms.
Dowdy Lake (Red Feather) - Good for stocker trout . Trollers are scoring with Dick Nites, Needlefish, brass Phoebes, silver Kastmasters and small Rapalas.
Dumont Lake - Fair to good with Nos. 16-18 Mosquito, Adams and Hornberg dry flies.
East Delaney Lake - Good, with an occasional 20-inch fish caught along the western shoreline.
Hidden Lakes - Fair to good using small Tasmanian Devils, Thomas Buoyants and Dardevles.
Hohnholz Lakes - Fly fishers have made some good catches on weighted Woolly Buggers and Green Scuds.
Horsetooth Reservoir - Fair to good for walleyes and smallmouth bass.
Jackson Lake - Good for trout off the dam; slow for other species.
Joe Wright Reservoir - Fair to good for trout with many catches being made near the inlet on Kastmasters, Thomas Buoyants and Little Tasmanian Devils.
Jumbo Reservoir - Slow for all species.
Lake Estes - Murky water requires streamers and bright-colored lures fished 3-6 feet down.
Lake John - West shore is most productive. Use dry fly imitations.
Laramie River at Hohnholz SWA - Good, with plenty of midge activity.
Lon Hagler Reservoir - Good for stocker trout.
Lonetree Reservoir - Good for wipers, particularly at night, using worms .
Long Draw Reservoir - Fair to good. Best shore fishing will be in the pocket coves but boats and belly boats give an angler considerable advantage.
North Delaney Lake - Good for big browns and rainbows.
North Michigan Lake - Good for stocker trout. Best fishing is at the inlet and off the dam face near the outlet.
North Park Streams - Good on Michigan and Illinois rivers.
North Platte River - Use stonefly, hopper and caddis patterns.
North Sterling Reservoir - Good for catfish near the inlet and in shallow areas near the weed line on cut bait, shrimp and night crawlers; fair for wipers from the dam on crawdad tails, crankbaits or worms; fair for walleye and saugeye using trolled crawler harnesses in 20 to 40 feet of water.
Parvin Lake (Red Feather) - Fair using Little Tasmanian Devils, Thomas Rough Riders and Kastmasters.
Pinewood Reservoir - Good for trout.
Poudre River - Many good catches are being made in the Bliss State Wildlife Area and above Tunnel Campground by anglers using Panther Martin, Mepps Black Fury and Vibrax spinners with black blades.
Prewitt Reservoir - A few catfish are being caught, and legal wipers have been taken off the northeast dam.
Seymour Reservoir - Fair to good for trout using bait.
Slack Weiss Reservoir - Good for trout using Panther Martin, Mepps Aglia and Vibrax spinners and bait of all kinds.
South Delaney Lake - Trout are feeding on Callibaetis and Damselflies, both nymphs and dries.
St. Vrain Ponds (formerly Barbour Ponds) - Good for stocker trout. Crappie, bluegill, bass and catfish are biting on sunny days.
Teal and Tiago Lakes - Good for trout with bait or small metal lures.
Union Reservoir (Calkins Reservoir) - Good for wipers, especially around the inlet. A few crappie have been caught on minnows around the pier.
Watson Lake - Good for smallmouth bass.
Wellington Reservoir No. 4 - Good for trout with bait.
West Lake (Red Feather) - Good for stocker trout.
NORTHWEST REGION
Bear River - Fishing well above Bear Lake with attractor dries like the yellow Humpy, yellow Stimulator and green Elk Hair Caddis.
Blue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir) - Running low, slow and clear, but fishing is only fair.
Blue River (Dillon to Green Mountain Reservoir) - Best action in Silverthorne is nymphing with Nos. 22-24 midge larva. Downriver, Green Drakes and caddis are providing great fishing, the closer to Green Mountain Reservoir the better.
Colorado River (below Parshall) - Very good, with caddis, Pale Morning Duns and Yellow Sallies hatching from Radium to Parshall.
Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle) - Clear green and flowing at 2,950 cfs in Glenwood Springs. Green Drakes are hatching daily, especially at dusk, along with good midday hatches of Pale Morning Duns and caddis.
Colorado River (near Granby) - Very fishable at 322 cfs. Nymphs and midges still work and surface action is picking up.
Crystal River - Clear and fishing well with good caddis, PMD and Green Drake hatches.
Elk River - Caddis are hatching and fish are on them.
Elkhead Reservoir - Very good for crappie.
Freeman Reservoir - Fair to good for cutthroat and brook trout.
Fryingpan River - Clear and flowing at 110 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir and 280 cfs at Thomasville. Hatches include Pale Morning Duns and caddis, most prolific on the middle and lower river.
Granby Reservoir - Very good for lake trout and rainbows. Lakers are being caught in 20 to 80 feet of water on crankbaits, jigs, spoons, dodgers with sucker meat and gang trolls.
Grand Lake - Good for rainbows at the river inlet, near the east boat ramp and around the connecting channel mouth.
Green Mountain Reservoir - Fair. Most fish are being taken at the inlet around McDonald Flats.
Green River - Nymphing with Woolly Buggers, beadheads and scuds works best for fly fishers.
Harvey Gap Reservoir - Very good for catfish and crappie. Three 10-pound catfish were caught last week.
Highline Lake - Slow for trout but warm-water species are biting well.
Lake Avery - Very good for trout using spinners and bait.
Mack Mesa Lake - Fishing has slowed, but some anglers caught their limits of trout last week.
Muddy Creek - Spin casters have been catching nice fish on Mepps, Blue Fox or Panther Martin spinners.
Pearl Lake - Fair to good for trout; best early morning and late evening.
Rifle Gap Reservoir - Perch fishing is excellent all over the lake on worm harnesses and silver Panther Martins.
Rio Blanco Lake - Very good for pike. Crappie and bluegill also hitting .
Roaring Fork River - Green Drakes are hatching daily along with PMDs, caddis and smaller stoneflies.
Shadow Mountain Reservoir - Try early morning and late evening for trout.
Stagecoach Reservoir - Good for trout and pike.
Steamboat Lake - Large emergers and beadheads work best for fly fishers. Power Bait is always effective for bait anglers.
Trappers Lake - Anglers are catching cutthroats, brookies and a rainbow or two.
Vega Reservoir - Good for trout. Hot spots include the Leon Creek inlet, below the Grouse parking area by the dam, the south shoreline, the Turtle Shell day use area and off the south end of the Island.
White River - Fly fishers are having good top-water action with caddis and Irresistibles.
Williams Fork Reservoir - Anglers are catching trout in the inlet using No. 7 Rapalas.
Willow Creek Reservoir - Very good for rainbow and brown trout.
Wolford Reservoir - Very good for cutbows, rainbows and browns. Best action is near the inlet.
Yampa River (Stagecoach through Steamboat) - Consistently good in the tailwater below Stagecoach Reservoir with midges and evening caddis.
SOUTHEAST REGION
Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) - Good for catfish, slow for other species.
Anticline Lake - Good for stocker trout.
Arkansas River No. 3 (through Pueblo) - Good for trout. Flows beneath Pueblo Dam are moderately high but clearing.
Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida) - Flow is 650-750 cfs. Yellow Sally stoneflies have been very active.
Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista) - Flows are 109 cfs near Leadville, 212 cfs in Hayden Meadows, 450 cfs in the Granite Gorge. Gray Drakes are getting active above Lake Creek and below.
Arkansas River (Salida to Cañon City) - Flows are 760-780 cfs. Yellow Sallies, PMDs, tan caddis, and hoppers top the menu. Float-fishing has been outstanding.
Beckwith Reservoir - Slow for trout but catfish and bluegills are biting.
Bonny Reservoir - Fair to good for all species. White bass and wipers are active along the dam face near East Beach.
Brush Hollow Reservoir - Slow for crappie and bass. Slow to fair for walleye.
Clear Creek Reservoir - Anglers report catching limits of trout. Browns are being caught near the inlet on Kastmasters.
Cottonwood Lake - Many anglers report catching trout limits.
Daigre Reservoir - Fair for stocker trout.
DeWeese Reservoir - Good for stocker trout.
Elevenmile Reservoir - Fair to good along most shorelines with pike hitting in the weed beds at Parking Lot and Corral Cove. Use Black Bunnies, sucker meat or black/silver Rapalas. Boaters do well on trout at the east end on Tasmanian Devils, Rapalas, Panther Martins, rainbow- patterned cowbells and Arnies tipped with night crawlers. Shore casters do best with Power Bait or salmon eggs at Witchers Cove, Howbert Point and the North Shore.
Fountain Lake - Good for stocker trout.
Hale and Hopper Ponds - Good for stocker trout in Hale.
Hayden Meadows Reservoir - Recently stocked rainbows are being caught on Kastmasters, Hotshots and silver Mepps spinners.
Horseshoe Reservoir - Good for tiger muskie and bass. Excellent for trout.
Jefferson Lake - Good for rainbows and lake trout.
John Martin Reservoir - Slow. Lake Hasty and the Arkansas River below the dam are yielding catfish and an occasional wiper or saugeye.
Martin Lake - Good for wipers, northern pike and trout.
Monument Reservoir - Good for stocker trout.
Nee Gronda Reservoir - Good for saugeye and crappie, with both species hitting on jigs and minnows.
Nee Noshe Reservoir - Good to excellent for saugeyes on worm harnesses or jigs tipped with worms.
North Lake - Good for stocker trout.
Pueblo Reservoir - Very good for smallmouth bass in 20 to 25 feet of water off rocky points.
Runyon Lake - Good for stocker trout.
San Isabel Lake - Fair for stocker trout.
South Platte River (between Spinney and Elevenmile) - Flowing at 47.5 cfs and fishing very well. Hatches include baetis, Tricos, hoppers and Mayflies. Use Nos. 12-16 Chironimids, UFOs, Black Beauties, nymphs, Griffith's Gnats, Trico Duns and San Juan Worms.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir - Good for trout. Shore casters are doing well between the dam and boat ramp and at the entrance to the Homestake Canal. Tubers are finding fish between the first and third parking lots on the north side.
Trinidad Reservoir - Excellent for trout from shore or boat using various baits and lures. Good for catfish and bass.
Turks Pond - Good for catfish; fair for bluegill, bass, wipers and saugeyes.
Turquoise Lake - Lake trout of up to 20 pounds are being caught here on Montera's Marvels and Hi Rocky Specials.
Twin Lakes - This will be the last good week for shore anglers to catch lake trout until fall. Warming surface temperatures are pushing mackinaw into the depths. Good for stocker trout.
Twin Lakes Forebay - Good for lake trout and rainbows using Montera's Marvels and Hi Rocky Specials.
Wahatoya Reservoir - Fair for stocker trout.
SOUTHWEST REGION
Beaver Creek Reservoir - Good for rainbows and browns.
Big Meadows Reservoir - Trout fishing has been fair to good with bait or spinners.
Blue Mesa Reservoir - Kokanee salmon are biting in Cebolla and Sapinero Basins on trolled Kokanee Killers, Arnies and Pink Jewels in 30 to 35-foot depths.
East River - Green Drake hatch is moving upriver, heaviest between Almont and the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery.
Gunnison River (below Crystal Dam) - PMDs and Caddis are hatching from Chukar down to the forks. A double-nymph rig works best during non-hatch periods.
Gunnison River (through the canyon) - Good through the gorge, especially in the long-tailed riffle runs.
Gunnison River (Upper from Almont to Blue Mesa) - Green/Gray Drakes are coming off heavy on overcast days and are thickest around Almont.
Jackson Gulch Reservoir - Good to excellent for stocker trout.
La Jara Creek - Fair for brown trout.
McPhee Reservoir - Good for smallmouth bass.
Mountain Home Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker trout.
Piedra River - Good for trout.
Platoro Reservoir - Good for trout and kokanee salmon.
Ridgway Fishing Ponds - Good for trout.
Ridgway Reservoir - Rainbows of up to 14 inches are being caught.
Rio Grande High Country Streams - Good to excellent using attractor dry flies.
Rio Grande River - Good to excellent for browns and rainbows.
Road Canyon Reservoir - Fair to good for rainbows and brookies.
Sanchez Reservoir - Fair to good for large northern pike and walleye.
Taylor Reservoir - Excellent for pike, lake trout and rainbows.
Trujillo Meadows Reservoir - Good for rainbow and brown trout.
Vallecito Reservoir - Excellent for brown trout. Good for pike.
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