Home › Outdoors › Hunting & Fishing
Colorado fishing report, June 16
Published June 16, 2004 at midnight
Southwest region | Northwest region
• Arvada Reservoir - Trout fishing has slowed but some are being caught on night crawlers and Power Bait. Walleyes are starting to bite. Best bet is to drift a jig with a leech or night crawler.
• Aurora Reservoir - Fair to good for trout but fish are deep. Best area is the West Dam and shoreline using Power Bait and salmon eggs. From boats, try crawlers fished off the bottom. Bass are hitting on soft plastics in Senac Cove .
• Barr Lake - Stocker trout are active, hitting Power Bait and small spinners near shore or Pop Geer and a worm slow-trolled by boats. Bass are taking plastic worms in the weedy areas of the shallows.
• Bear Creek - Fly fishers have done well on clear days with egg patterns and a Renegade.
• Bear Creek Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker rainbows using worms and rainbow or orange Power Bait.
• Berkeley Lake - Bass, stocked trout and sunfish are being caught.
• Centennial Park Lake - Fly fishers are doing well on the west side with Woolly Buggers and small Flashback Nymphs.
• Chatfield Ponds - Bass and walleyes are being caught on shiners.
• Chatfield Reservoir - Large numbers of walleye being caught, but not many keepers. Crawlers or leeches are most effective, either on a harness or jigged in 14 feet of water. Catfish are being caught around the Plum Creek area on stink baits or chicken livers. Smallmouth bass and trout are most active along the dam.
• Cherry Creek Reservoir - Walleye are starting to hit around the island and along the face of the dam. Best bait seems to be leeches, with crawlers a close second. Fish in the 18-foot range trolling very slowly. Some big wipers also have been caught around the island on chrome and blue Rat-L-Traps or big white grubs. Crappie are hitting well around the marina.
• Clear Creek (above Highway 119) - Fly fishers do well with Flashbacks and small red Brassies.
• Clear Lake - Trout are being caught on salmon eggs and pink Power Bait, especially on north side.
• Evergreen Lake - An angler fishing for trout with salmon eggs landed a 42-inch tiger muskie Sunday. Small brookies are being caught at the inlet.
• Georgetown Lake - Salmon eggs and Power Bait are the ticket here. A lot of 10- to 12-inch rainbows and smaller brookies being caught by the bridge.
• Jim Baker Reservoir - Action has picked up for stocker trout. Power Bait or small night crawlers work best.
• Main Lake - Big largemouth bass are being caught on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits or 7-inch plastic worms fished around the weed beds.
• Quincy Reservoir - Good for bass (some are still spawning) using soft plastics, crayfish or lizard imitations on Texas or Carolina rigs. Fly casters have been catching bass on Woolly Buggers. Trout fishing is slow to fair.
• Rocky Mountain Lake - Plenty of small stocked trout caught early in the morning or late afternoon. Power Bait, salmon eggs or small night crawlers all work.
• Sloans Lake - Slow, with only a few stocker trout and crappie being caught.
• Smith Reservoir - This is the best largemouth lake in the metro area. Use black or yellow spinnerbaits and black or purple worms fished slowly along weed beds.
• South Platte River (Waterton Canyon) - The upper part of the river has been fishing well early and late in the day. Best flies: Flashback Hare's Ears or Brassies. Best lures: small Mepps or Blue Fox spinners in chrome. Lower stretches are fishing well with small crawlers.
• Standley Lake - Good for wipers, crappie and walleye near the inlet and cove. Stocker trout continue to be caught on Power Bait, worms and spinners.
NORTHEAST REGION
• Barker Reservoir - Fair for trout using night crawlers, salmon eggs or Power Bait. Mornings and evenings are best.
• Bellaire Lake - Good for trout using Sparkle Power Bait, Fireballs, Kastmasters, Little Cleos and small Tasmanian Devils. Best results are along the west side and north end from boats or belly boats.
• Big Thompson Ponds - Catfish are biting on chicken livers, popcorn shrimp and other baits in the back pond.
• Big Thompson River - Flow above Estes Lake is 376 cubic feet per second and 439 cfs below the dam. Upper river and lower river are both difficult to fish.
• Boulder Reservoir - Fair for walleye in the current at the inlet. Most fish are being caught on white or chartreuse Twister tails.
• Boyd Lake - Fair to good for walleye with several fish weighing more than 3 pounds. Stocker trout and catfish also hitting.
• Carter Lake (west of Loveland) - A few nice walleyes are being caught on harnessed crawlers, Erie Dearies and minnows. Fair to good for trout.
• Chambers Lake - Good for trout with salmon eggs, Power Bait and worms. A few small to medium-sized lake trout have been taken from the deep pockets on the northwest side.
• Douglas Reservoir - Good for stocker trout with Power Bait, Fireballs and red worms.
• Dowdy Lake (Red Feather) - Good for trout.
• Dumont Lake - Fair to good with Nos. 16-18 Mosquito, Adams and Hornberg dry flies.
• East Delaney Lake - Good for trout. Some 18- to 20-inch fish have been caught in the west shore coves.
• Hidden Lakes - Fair to good using small Tasmanian Devils, Thomas Buoyants and Dardevles.
• Hohnholz Lakes - Fair to good.
• Horsetooth Reservoir - Good for walleye and smallmouth bass, especially along the sides of the dams and coves.
• Jackson Lake - Fair for trout and catfish, slow for other species.
• Joe Wright Reservoir - Fair to good for trout.
• Jumbo Reservoir - Slow for all species.
• Lake Estes - Murky water requires streamers and bright-colored lures fished 3 to 6 feet down. Bait fishers do best at the inlet with Power Bait, eggs and worms.
• Lake John - Good, with the west shore most productive. Fly fishers are scoring with a No. 6 olive Woolly Bugger or a two-fly rig featuring a No. 16 Copper John followed by a No. 16 Olive Scud.
• Laramie River at Hohnholz SWA - Fishing is still productive using sonic metal lures such as Panther Martins and Vibrax.
• Lon Hagler Reservoir - Good for stocker trout on bait, crawlers or minnows.
• Lonetree Reservoir - Good at night for wipers using worms; fair for crappie.
• North Delaney Lake - Many big fish reported. In high wind or rainy weather, fish a No. 4 Vanilla Bugger or No. 6 Crazy Dad Crayfish along the west and north shores. On fair-weather days, callibaetis hatches are coming off.
• North Fork of the North Platte River - Big browns and rainbows inhabit this water. Fish Black Hale Bopp Leeches and cast them to opposite banks.
• North Michigan Lake - Best at the inlet using small Panther Martins, Mepps and Vibrax spinners.
• North Park Streams - Fish through Walden with a No. 12 Platte River Special or a No. 6 Black Woolly Bugger.
• North Platte River - Toss big streamers into the slack water and along the edges of the current.
• North Sterling Reservoir - Good for crappie on small jigs and minnows along the north end of the dam or Elks Bay; good for catfish drifting crawdads or night crawlers; fair for wipers along the dam and main points using crayfish tails, shrimp or night crawlers; fair for trout along the dam on worms and other typical baits; slow for walleye and saugeye.
• Parvin Lake (Red Feather) - Fair to good using Little Tasmanian Devils, Thomas Rough Riders and Kastmasters. Fly casters are catching some fish with Damsel Nymphs and Matuka streamers.
• Pinewood Reservoir - Fair to good for stocked trout with bait.
• Poudre River - Try sonic lures such as Panther Martins and Vibrax.
• Seeley Lake - Bass, crappie, panfish and a few trout are being caught.
• Seymour Reservoir - Good for trout with bait. Best results are from belly boats along the southwest side.
• Simpson Ponds - Slow, but some bass have been caught on ¼-ounce spinner baits, buzzbaits and top-water plugs.
• Slack Weiss Reservoir - Good for stocker trout using Panther Martin, Mepps Aglia and Vibrax spinners and bait .
• South Delaney Lake - Trout are feeding on callibaetis and damselflies. Best dry fly action has been early in the morning and late in the evening.
• St. Vrain Ponds (formerly Barbour Ponds) - Good for trout using green or yellow Power Bait, Power Eggs, Fireballs, night crawlers, small jigs and spinners.
• St. Vrain River - Good with bait in pocket water. Fly fishers do best with Flashabou Olives, Beadhead Nymphs and small baetis dry flies.
• Teal and Tiago Lakes - Good for stocker trout with bait or small metal lures such as Devle Dogs, Little Cleos, Thomas Buoyants and Dardevles.
• Union Reservoir (Calkins Reservoir) - Very good for wipers in early mornings. Fish have been hitting on Twister tails, Marabou jigs, worms and crayfish.
• Watson Lake - Good for smallmouth bass with small crankbaits, plastic worms, topwater plugs and spinner baits.
• Wellington Reservoir No. 4 - Good for trout with bait.
• West Lake (Red Feather) - Good for stocker trout.
NORTHWEST REGION
• Blue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir) - Fair. Anglers say there are too many bugs competing with their flies.
• Blue River (Dillon to Green Mountain Reservoir) - Midges continue to dominate in the tailwater section. Use Nos. 20-24 Black Beauties, GT Perfect Emergers, Barr's Midge Larva and a Brook's Sprout on the surface during hatches.
• Colorado River (below Parshall) - Very good with caddis, Pale Morning Duns and Yellow Sallies hatching from Radium to Parshall.
• Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle) - Slow, but look for good hatches of Pale Morning Duns and Green Drakes as water clears.
• Colorado River (near Granby) - Nymphs and midges work and surface action is starting to pick up.
• Elk River - Try big stones and Hare's Ear nymphs in the slower eddies.
• Elkhead Reservoir - Very good for crappie. Smallmouth bass are moving into the shallows to spawn, and pike fishing is fair to good.
• Freeman Reservoir - Fair to good for cutthroat and brook trout.
• Fryingpan River - Excellent. A lot of surface action on Blue Wing Olives from noon until 4 p.m. Tiny Nos. 20-22 BWO imitations fished on 7X tippets are a must for successful dry fly fishing.
• Granby Reservoir - Very good for lake trout and rainbows. Lakers are found mornings and evenings running the banks in shallow water.
• Grand Lake - Good for trout at the river inlet, channel mouth and near the boat ramp. Some lake trout are being caught on sucker meat and large spoons.
• Green Mountain Reservoir - Anglers are catching a few trout on worms.
• Green River - Nymphing with Woolly Buggers, beadheads and scuds works best for fly fishers while lure casters do well with Blue Fox, Mepps or Panther Martin spinners and minnow-type lures.
• Harvey Gap Reservoir - Trout are biting on worms, salmon eggs and Power Bait along the east and west shores. Crappie are hitting on white crappie jigs and white tube jigs on the east side.
• Highline Lake - Crappie can be caught on yellow and chartreuse jigs with green sparkles. Sunfish also are hitting on jigs.
• Lake Avery - Very good for trout.
• Muddy Creek - Use Woolly Buggers, Caddis, Prince Nymphs and Joe's Hoppers. Spincasters have been catching nice fish on rainbow-colored Mepps spinners and Panther Martins in black with yellow spots.
• Pearl Lake - Good in the coves, best mornings and evenings.
• Rifle Gap Reservoir - Excellent for trout with anglers limiting out on rainbows of 14 to 18 inches. The southeast and west end of the reservoir are hot spots.
• Rio Blanco Lake - Very good for pike.
• Roaring Fork River - Good hatches of caddis and stoneflies. Dry/droppers work well along the banks and nymphing has also been productive.
• Shadow Mountain Reservoir - Try early morning and late evening for trout.
• Stagecoach Reservoir - Good for trout at the inlet. Pike fishing is improving.
• Steamboat Lake - Very good with bait, Panther Martin spinners and Renegade flies.
• Trappers Lake - Very good for brook trout.
• Vega Reservoir - Very good for trout, especially at upper Oak Point, the Grouse day use area and Turtle Shell.
• Williams Fork Reservoir - Anglers are catching a lot of trout in the inlet using No. 7 Rapalas in rainbow trout, black and silver or red and white colors. Good for pike.
• Willow Creek Reservoir - Very good for rainbow and brown trout.
• Wolford Reservoir - Very good for cutbows and rainbows.
• Yampa River (Stagecoach through Steamboat) - Good in the tailwater below Stagecoach Reservoir.
SOUTHEAST REGION
• Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) - Fair for catfish.
• Anticline Lake - Excellent for stocker trout.
• Arkansas River No. 3 (through Pueblo) - Fair to good when clear.
• Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida) - Fish are feeding on Golden Stonefly and Yellow Sally nymphs; also hitting yellow stimulators and foam flies on top.
• Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista) - Stoneflies are migrating toward the banks and hoppers are starting to appear in the meadow.
• Arkansas River (Salida to Canon City) - The stonefly hatch is on and fishing is good, particularly along the edges. Use stimulators, foam flies, Epoxyback Stones and Yellow Sallies.
• Beckwith Reservoir - Slow for trout, good for bluegill and catfish.
• Bonny Reservoir - Some 15- to 17-inch walleye have been caught on night crawlers drifted slowly off boats and several have been caught by shore anglers near the old spawning bed along the north shore. White bass and wipers are active along the dam face near East Beach.
• Brush Hollow Reservoir - Crappie and bass are biting.
• Clear Creek Reservoir - Good for stocker trout.
• Cottonwood Lake - Good with Power Bait, worms or salmon eggs.
• Daigre Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker trout.
• DeWeese Reservoir - Good with all methods. Larger trout are being caught on Power Bait.
• Elevenmile Reservoir - Mayflies are hatching and trout fishing remains fair. From shore, try Rocky Flats in the North Shore Camp Area, Howbert Point and the Back Country peninsula. Use white or brass Needlefish, Dick Nites, pink or chartreuse Imperial Magic dough bait, rubber worms, night crawlers and egg patterns. Boaters are seeing better action toward the west end of the lake.
• Fountain Lake - Excellent for stocker trout.
• Hale and Hopper Ponds - Good for stocker trout. Some big bass also being taken.
• Hayden Meadows Reservoir - Fair to good for stocker trout.
• Horseshoe Reservoir - Tiger muskies, bass and stocker trout being caught.
• Jefferson Lake - Good for rainbows and lake trout.
• John Martin Reservoir - Slow in the reservoir. Lake Hasty and a stretch of the Arkansas River below the dam are yielding nice catfish with an occasional wiper or saugeye.
• Martin Lake - Good for wipers, northern pike and trout.
• Monument Reservoir - Good for trout.
• Nee Gronda Reservoir - Anglers are catching wipers trolling in open water.
• Nee Noshe Reservoir - Saugeye are biting well on many different worm rigs. Crappie action has improved.
• North Lake - Good for stocker trout.
• Pueblo Reservoir - Walleye fishing has taken off. Most of the fish are in shallow water west of the south marina, the swim beach east of there and around sailboard flats. Use bottom bouncers or Twister tails tipped with nightcrawlers or leeches.
• Runyon Lake - Excellent for stocker trout.
• San Isabel Lake - Good for stocker trout.
• South Platte River (between Spinney and Elevenmile) - Very good. Hatches include baetis and Mayflies. Use a No. 16 Light Tan Hare's Ear, Red Copper John, Pheasant Tail, red Midge Larva or pupa.
• Spinney Mountain Reservoir - Good from boat or shore all over the lake. Pike are hitting on medium-sized rainbow, pink or purple Rapalas.
• Trinidad Reservoir - Excellent for trout from shore or boat using baits and lures. Good for catfish and bass.
• Turks Pond - Channel and blue catfish are providing good action.
• Turquoise Lake - Good for trout.
• Wahatoya Reservoir - Fair to good for trout.
SOUTHWEST REGION
• Beaver Creek Reservoir - Anglers are catching rainbows and browns.
• Big Meadows Reservoir - Good for trout.
• Blue Mesa Reservoir - Good for salmon. Troll Pink Jewels and Kokanee Killers in red, green and pearl/red.
• Echo Canyon Reservoir - Excellent for trout.
• Gunnison River (below Crystal Dam) - Nymphing remains the best bet, but a dry/dropper can be productive, especially in areas with structure and aerated water.
• Gunnison River (through the canyon) - Very good. Fish are hitting on No. 10 Golden Stones, smaller Yellow Sallies, Caddis and various egg patterns.
• Gunnison River (upper from Almont to Blue Mesa) - Dry fly fishing is excellent. Fish stonefly patterns such as Nos. 8-14 Stimulators, Club Sandwiches, Mystery Meats, Halfbacks, Golden Stones and 20-Inchers.
• Jackson Gulch Reservoir - Good to excellent for stocker trout.
• McPhee Reservoir - Good for smallmouth bass and pike.
• Mountain Home Reservoir - Good for stocker trout.
• Navajo Reservoir - Windsurf Beach and Arboles Point are yielding excellent catches of large channel catfish and northern pike.
• Platoro Reservoir - Good for trout and kokanee from shore or boat.
• Ridgway Fishing Ponds - Good for stocker trout.
• Ridgway Reservoir - Kokanee are hitting anything offered.
• Road Canyon Reservoir - Good to excellent for rainbow trout and brook trout.
• Sanchez Reservoir - Fair to good for walleye, yellow perch and northern pike.
• Taylor Reservoir - Very good for rainbow trout.
• Taylor River - Caddis have been thick in the afternoons and evenings; use tan and olive Nos. 12-16.
• Trujillo Meadows Reservoir - Good for rainbow and brown trout.
• Vallecito Reservoir - Excellent for brown trout.
Back to Top