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Colorado fishing report, May 5
Published May 5, 2004 at midnight
Southwest region | Northwest region
• Arvada Reservoir - Some stocked trout are still being caught on PowerBait and red salmon eggs.
• Aurora Reservoir - Slow for all species. Shore casters caught a few trout off the dam, marina bay and points last week using eggs, night crawlers and PowerBait. Boaters caught a few trout on slow-trolled Needlefish and Rapalas.
• Barr Lake - Fair for trout using PowerBait, CraveBait or salmon eggs. Live minnows also are a good bet.
• Bear Creek - Trout are biting. On warm days, fish the morning with Pheasant Tail and Hare's Ear nymphs. In the afternoons, switch to dries such as Blue Wing Olives, Elk Hair Caddis and Blue Duns.
• Bear Creek Reservoir - Good for stocker rainbows using worms, orange Power Eggs or PowerBait. Small Rapalas or other minnow-type lures fished from a boat also are effective.
• Berkeley Lake - Use PowerBait and salmon eggs. Also try live minnows and small night crawlers for crappie and sunfish.
• Centennial Park Lake - A lot of trout are being caught on PowerBait and live minnows. Tasmanian Devils and Kastmasters also work well for rainbows.
• Chatfield Ponds - Slow but should improve as weather warms this week.
• Chatfield Reservoir - A few smallmouth bass have been caught on minnows and Roadrunner lures and trout on pop gear with a night crawler. Water temperature is now prime for walleyes. Try trolling a bottom bouncer in 5 to 12 feet depths with a night crawler or leech on a Bear Paw harness. Berkeley Power Grubs, Wally Divers and Shad Raps also work.
• Cherry Creek Reservoir - A few largemouth bass are being caught on warmer days around the Cottonwood Creek area. Try casting a Mepps or Blue Fox spinner from shore in shallow water.
• Clear Creek (above Highway 119) - Good fly fishing close to the Denver area. Use a San Juan Worm with a Stimulator and Blue Dun.
• Clear Lake - Brookies can be caught on a fly and bubble or small night crawlers; try PowerBait or Zeke's Floating Bait for stocker trout.
• Evergreen Lake - Good for stocked rainbow trout.
• Georgetown Lake - Many small rainbow, brook and brown trout that can be caught on small night crawlers, PowerBait and Crave Bait.
• Quincy Reservoir - Restricted to artificial flies and lures only. Slow to fair for trout. Beadhead Prince Nymphs, midge patterns and Pheasant Tails are still most productive for fly fishers while lure casters have had success trolling flies and pink Tasmanian Devils. Fair to good for bass with crankbaits or soft plastics.
• Rocky Mountain Lake - Good for stocked rainbow trout. PowerBait, salmon eggs and small night crawlers work best.
• Sloan's Lake - A few crappie were hitting live minnows before last week's storms and should resume as the water warms.
• South Platte River (Waterton Canyon) - Excellent from Chatfield to below Strontia Dam. Rainbows are hitting streamers fished very slowly near the bottom. Small Rapala and Tormentor lures also are working well.
• Standley Lake - Good for wipers and crappie at the inlet. Use live minnows for both. Stocker trout continue to be caught on PowerBait, worms and spinners.
• Washington Park Lakes - Good for crappie using live minnows, Fle Fly jigs and small Roadrunners.
• Webster Lake - Good for trout with salmon eggs fished on the bottom and PowerBait fished a foot off the bottom.
NORTHEAST REGION
• Barker Reservoir - Fair to good for trout near the inlet and along the north shore using night crawlers, salmon eggs or PowerBait.
• Bellaire Lake - Fair to good for trout.
• Big Thompson Ponds - Catfish are biting on chicken livers, popcorn shrimp and other baits in the back pond.
• Big Thompson River - Flow is 78 cubic feet per second, water is clear and trout fishing is good. Fish are taking Beadhead Prince Nymphs, Caddis Larva, Elkhair Caddis and green or chartreuse Copper Johns. Several nice catches have been made using Nos. 8-10 Prince Nymph with Nos. 18-20 Green Caddis Larva trailer. Lure casters are doing well with silver Mepps.
• Boulder Reservoir - Boaters should have the best luck for walleye, especially in the evening. Bellyboaters may be successful near the south dam. Bass can be caught with worms off the dams.
• Boyd Lake - Several walleye weighing more than 3 pounds have been caught on harnessed crawlers and white twister tails. Lake also has been stocked with trout.
• Carter Lake (west of Loveland) - Walleye have been caught using Rat-L-Traps and Short Warts.
• Douglas Reservoir - Good for trout with PowerBait, Fireballs and red worms.
• Dowdy Lake (Red Feather) - Good catches are being made with Thomas Buoyants, Little Cleos and Tasmanian Devils. Power Bait, eggs and worms are also catching fish near the dam face and on the southwest side.
• East Delaney Lake - Fair for trout with shrimp, scud and Prince Nymph patterns. Lure casters do well with Kastmasters and Little Cleos.
• Estes Lake - Good for trout at the inlet with Power Bait, eggs and worms.
• Hohnholz Lakes - Fishing is picking up. Bait works best in Lake No. 2. Lures, especially little Tasmanian Devils and Thomas Cyclone, are most effective in Lake No. 3.
• Jackson Lake - Excellent for trout, wipers and channel catfish; fair for other species. Wipers have been hitting on minnows, minnow imitations and night crawlers; trout and catfish mostly on crawlers.
• Lake John - Fair to good with salmon eggs, crawlers and Power Bait.
• Laramie River at Hohnholz SWA - Some 12- to 15-inch brown trout have been caught here on Panther Martin, Vibrax and Mepps Black Fury spinners.
• Lonetree Reservoir - A few wipers have been caught on jigs and worm harnesses fished on the bottom.
• North Sterling Reservoir - Good for trout near the dam on baits and spinners; good for wipers at the north end of the dam and Sunset Point on crawdads; fair for walleyes on crawler harnesses and jigs.
• Parvin Lake (Red Feather) - Good using small Tasmanian Devils, Thomas Rough Riders and Kastmasters. Fly casters are catching fish with Damsel Nymphs and Matuka streamers.
• Pinewood Reservoir - Fair to good for recently stocked trout with bait of all kinds.
• Poudre River - River is clear, flowing at 105 cfs through the canyon, and fishing has been good with two-fly rigs. Use a stonefly ahead of a Nos. 16-18 Chironomid or Pheasant Tail emerger.
• Seeley Lake - Fair to good with Power Bait, Power Nuggets and salmon eggs.
• Slack Weiss Reservoir - Good for stocker trout using Panther Martin, Mepps Aglia and Vibrax spinners.
• South Delaney Lake - Good for 10- to 14-inch cutthroats using silver Kastmasters and Thomas Buoyants. Some nice browns have been taken by belly boaters on calibaetis, shrimp and scud nymphs.
• St. Vrain Ponds (formerly Barbour Ponds) - Most effective baits for stocker trout are green or yellow PowerBait, salmon eggs and night crawlers.
• St. Vrain River - Flow is 142 cfs and rising. Fair with bait and good with Flashabou Olive, Beadhead Nymphs and small baetis dry flies.
• Union Reservoir (Calkins Reservoir) - Good for wipers with worms, shrimp, crayfish or mussels. Good for trout using worms or PowerBait.
• Watson Lake - Smallmouth bass are becoming more active, with some fish of 16-18 inches being caught by anglers using crankbaits and plastic worms. Trout anglers are doing well with Thomas Buoyants, Panther Martins and Vibrax spinners.
• Wellington Reservoir No. 4 - Good for stocker trout with bait.
• West Lake (Red Feather) - Good with small Kastmasters and Thomas Buoyants on the east and south side.
NORTHWEST REGION
• Blue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir) - Flowing low and clear and fishing well. Mayflies and Miller Moths have been providing good surface action for fly fishers.
• Blue River (Dillon to Green Mountain Reservoir) - Caddis are starting to show on sunny days. Best fishing is in Silverthorne and closer to the dam. From Silverthorne to Green Mountain Reservoir, use Beadhead Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, Hare's Ears, Randy's Baetis and small stonefly nymphs.
• Colorado River (below Parshall) - Good for rainbows and browns, with Blue Wing Olives emerging on cloudy days and a few gray caddis on sunny days. Use No. 18 Prince Nymph and Elk Hair Caddis. Some anglers also report success with small brown stoneflies and black hellgrammite patterns.
• Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle) - Slightly discolored but fishable, running at 1,140 cfs near Dotsero and 2,460 cfs in Cameo downriver from Glenwood Springs. Great streamer fishing on overcast days. Use Zuddlers, Splendors or Slump Busters. Blue Wing Olives and caddis are on the water in good numbers on hot sunny days. Flies of the moment: Princes, Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails and Electric Caddis.
• Colorado River (near Granby) - Good flow and fishing well. Nymphs and midges are still working, but surface action is starting to pick up with caddis, Olive Duns and Blue Wing Olives. Dry/dropper rigs, egg patterns and black or olive Woolly Buggers are most effective.
• Crystal River - Fishing well above Redstone, high and discolored downriver. Hot flies in the upper reaches include Breadcrusts, BH P-Tails, Poxyback Baetis, X-Caddis and Parachute BWOs.
• Elkhead Reservoir - Anglers are catching a few pike but mostly stocker trout.
• Fryingpan River - Flow is up to 112 cfs and releases from Ruedi Reservoir are flushing mysis shrimp into the river. Anglers are catching more big fish in the catch-and-release waters below the dam. Several 8-pounders were caught last week.
• Granby Reservoir - Excellent for lake trout and rainbows. Anglers have been catching many 17- to 18-inch lakers on Rapalas, Z-Rays and tube jigs sweetened with sucker meat. Wax worms work well on kokanee, and rainbows are plentiful.
• Grand Lake - Good for trout at the river inlet and near the boat ramp.
• Green River - Running clear and fishing well. Nymphing with Woolly Buggers, beadheads and scuds works best for big German browns. Lure casters do well with Blue Fox, Mepps or Panther Martin spinners and minnow-type lures such as Rapalas.
• Harvey Gap Reservoir - Excellent for trout using small spinners and standard baits. Good for pike and perch.
• Highline Lake - Crappie and bass are starting to hit on Brush Hogs and 10-inch Power Worms.
• Mack Mesa Lake - Good for stocker trout with various baits. PowerBait in assorted colors and pink or red salmon eggs have been doing well.
• Muddy Creek - Fishing very well below the dam with Mayflies and Woolly Buggers.
• Rifle Gap Reservoir - Excellent for rainbow trout using Rapalas, small spinners, worms, salmon eggs and PowerBait.
• Rio Blanco Lake - Good for pike.
• Roaring Fork River - Flow is 375 cfs above Carbondale and 750 cfs below the confluence with the Crystal River. Lower Fork is discolored but fishable with good hatches of caddis and Blue Wing Olives. Hot flies include Z-Wing Caddis, Breadcrusts, Poxyback Baetis, Buckskins, Splendors, Zuddlers, BWO Paras and Peacock Caddis.
• Shadow Mountain Reservoir - Fair to good, especially at the canal mouth and old river channel. Rapalas have been catching a fair number of rainbows and browns.
• Stagecoach Reservoir - Excellent for trout at the inlet. Pike fishing is picking up.
• Steamboat Lake - Woolly Buggers and PowerBait are the most consistent fish-catchers. Try south side of dam.
• Vega Reservoir - Very good for trout using PowerBait, salmon eggs, worms and Panther Martin spinners.
• White River - Some surface action with Blue Wing Olive and midge hatches but nymphing is still the most productive.
• Williams Fork Reservoir - Excellent for pike and lake trout. Most of the lakers run 25 to 28 inches but a 40-incher weighing 26 pounds was caught on sucker meat last week. Pike fishing is very good in the fingers on the west side of the lake and the flats at the south end.
• Williams Fork River - Rainbow trout starting to hit again on Mayflies, Blue Wing Olives, Prince Nymphs and Copper Johns. Browns are also biting on nymphs and emergers such as WD-40s and RS2s.
• Wolford Reservoir - Excellent in lower lake. Anglers are catching many splake, rainbows and browns averaging 16 to 18 inches.
• Yampa River - Flowing at 3,000 cfs, rising and muddy, but anglers are still catching pike in the sloughs and backwaters around Craig and downriver. Trout fishing from Steamboat Springs to Hayden can be good when cold nights improve water clarity.
SOUTHEAST REGION
• Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) - Some crappie are being caught as well as blue cats and channel cats.
• Anticline Lake - Fair to good for stocked trout.
• Arkansas River No. 3 (through Pueblo) - Flows are high and slightly discolored. Good for stocker trout.
• Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida) - Running clear and producing some great fishing. From Browns Canyon upstream through Buena Vista, there are good Blue Wing Olive hatches, and caddis may appear above the canyon by the end of the week. From Stone Bridge to Salida, caddis and BWO hatches provide outstanding fishing. Use a soft hackle Caddis Pupa in the morning, a Black Foam Caddis during the afternoon and a Peacock or Spent Peacock Caddis in the evening, all size 16.
• Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista) - Try Tungsten Biot Midges in black, olive and red; Brassies and Red Zebra Midges. On cloudy days, watch for Blue Wing Olives. Use a Parachute Adams, Brooks Sprout Baetis or Gulper Special on top; Micromayflies, Olive Flashback Pheasant Tails and WD-40s underneath.
• Arkansas River (Salida to Cañon City) - Running clear at 250-300 cfs and fishing great. Caddis are hatching on sunny days from Coaldale up to Big Bend and Blue Wing Olives emerge on cloudy days. For caddis, start with a soft hackle Caddis Pupa in the morning, switch to a Black Foam Caddis during the afternoon and switch again to a Peacock or Spent Peacock Caddis in the evening, all size 16. For BWOs, use a dry/dropper rig with a No. 18 Tungsten Biot Midge, Nos. 16-18 Olive Flashback Pheasant Tail or Nos. 18-20 Tungsten WD-40 beneath a Parachute Adams or Royal Wulff indicator.
• Beckwith Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker trout.
• Brush Hollow Reservoir - Fair for most species.
• Cottonwood Lake - Fair with night crawlers and salmon eggs. Small flies work well along the upper end.
• DeWeese Reservoir - Fair to good for trout with most methods.
• Elevenmile Reservoir - Fair for all species. Boaters are having the best action toward the east end of the lake; shore casters at Lazy Boy or Sucker's Cove. Most effective baits are salmon eggs, spawn sacs, worms and pink or green PowerBait. Best lures are split-jointed Rapalas in gold, black or peach colors, Needlefish and Dick Nites. Pike fishing is starting to pick up.
• Fountain Lake - Fair to good for trout.
• Hayden Meadows Reservoir - Very good for rainbows and browns.
• John Martin Reservoir - Crappie bite has begun, with the fish concentrated at the base of the dam. Many anglers report catching their limits of 20.
• Martin Lake - Good for trout and northern pike. They're biting on lures, salmon eggs, PowerBait and flies.
• Monument Reservoir - Good for trout.
• Nee Gronda Reservoir - Fair to good using Rat-L-Traps, jigs with Twister tails or live minnows fished under a bobber.
• Runyon Lake - Good for stocker trout.
• Skaguay Reservoir - Anglers have been catching rainbows of up to 16 inches.
• South Platte River (between Spinney and Elevenmile) - Running at about 80 cfs and fishing is very good. Cutthroat trout and rainbow spawners are hitting Sparkle Wing RS2s, orange or gold Scuds, peach and apricot egg patterns, gray or brown Chironomids and black or olive Woolly Buggers. Hatches include small midges and Blue Wing Olives.
• Spinney Mountain Reservoir - Anglers are having good action along the dam and shoreline from the South Ramp to Buffalo Cove. Fish are hanging in 5- to 15-foot depths offshore, and a lot of 18- to 24-inch trout are being pulled out. Top flies: green or black Woolly Buggers, gray or brown Chironomids, San Juan Worms and Blood Worms with an egg. A black Marabou Jig bounced off the bottom also works well.
• Trinidad Reservoir - Fair for trout from boat or shore using bait.
• Turks Pond - Fair for wipers, and saugeyes are being caught regularly.
SOUTHWEST REGION
• Conejos River - Good for brown trout but flows rising and water is becoming discolored.
• Echo Canyon Reservoir - Excellent for trout.
• Gunnison River (below Crystal Dam) - Good with consistent caddis and Blue Wing Olive hatches. Recommended nymphs: midges (larvae, pupa and emerger phases), Pheasant Tails, Flashback PTs, Copper Johns, RS2 emergers, Dandelions, scuds, eggs, San Juan Worms and Woolly Buggers. Dries: BWOs, Adams, Elk Hair caddis and stimulators.
• Gunnison River (through the canyon) -Excellent in the Upper Gunnison to Smith Fork. There was a huge caddis hatch last week that provided great surface action. Hot flies: Nos. 14-15 Gray Caddis, Nos. 14-16 Cutter, Nos. 8-10 Mercer Golden Stone.
• Gunnison River (Upper from Almont to Blue Mesa) - Hatches include caddis, midges and Mayflies, and stonefly nymphs remain active. Try an egg pattern followed by No. 16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail or black Copper John. Streamers in black, purple and vanilla work best when the water is off-color.
• Jackson Gulch Reservoir - Rainbow trout are still active along the dam, inlet channel and northwest coves.
• McPhee Reservoir - Good for stocker rainbows.
• Navajo Reservoir - Crappie have started biting along the shorelines and in the coves.
• Ridgway Reservoir - Good for stocker trout. PowerBait and salmon eggs continue to catch the most fish.
• Rio Grande River - Fair to good from Marshall Park to South Fork using stonefly nymphs such as Copper Johns. Fishing below the confluence is slow to fair.
• Road Canyon Reservoir - Fair to good for rainbow trout of up to 20 inches using wet flies and Panther Martin spinners.
• Taylor River - Below the dam try Nos. 18-24 Miracle Nymphs, Barr's Emergers, Mysis Shrimp, WD-40s and Pheasant Tails. Spring Creek has also been fishing well with good caddis and ice stone hatches.
• Uncompahgre River in Ridgway Park - Nice fish are still being caught and released in the river below the dam.
• Vallecito Reservoir - Very good for pike.
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