Best Angler Spots in the High Country Revealed
Trevor Phipps
Outdoor fanatics across Colorado and in the local region have been wondering when the weather will finally hit a summer high on a consistent basis. But fret not.
The cooler and rainy conditions, which occasionally have struck with a vengeance, have proved to create good environments for fishing. So far this season, many anglers (including myself), have experienced great days out on the water.
After traveling to several lakes and rivers across the region, I have recently had the most success at Cheesman Reservoir, located just north of Deckers. Two trips out on the lake have yielded our group several large (16 to 18-inch) rainbow trout catches, and one 14-inch small mouth bass
Other lakes and rivers in the region also been producing some nice size fish. On a recent trip to Tarryall Reservoir, it was a definite slow fishing day due to the wind. However, we were able to prevent from getting skunked after snagging one small white sucker fish.
But enough stories of my personal excursions, let’s hear what the experts have to say. The following is a compilation of fishing reports of lakes and rivers nearby the Ute Pass region from fishing outfitters and websites across the state in recent weeks.
Lakes Still Producing Decent Fish
According to the marina at 11 Mile Reservoir, the annual hatch has been in full swing which has slowed down the bites a bit. Now the good news: The hatch will be over soon, and this situation drastically by the time you read this article.
According to the Angler’s Covey fly fishing shop in Colorado Springs, the cooler weather has kept the fishing excellent at 11 Mile Reservoir. They said that fishing for pike has especially gotten better.
The fly fishing shop’s website also offered some tips for those wishing to fly fish at 11 Mile in the near future. “Move around. We are seeing productive zones change frequently. Don’t be opposed to exploring different parts of the lake right now,” the Angler’s Covey website states. “Where you are fishing your flies (depth) is equally or even more important than the patterns you are fishing. Be sure to play around with the depth before you start changing flies.”
However, fishing just up the road at Spinney Reservoir has not quite been as successful due to low water levels. Anglers are still having some luck, but fishing is best done currently on a boat or kayak.
Further out west in South Park, Antero Reservoir has still been fishing well lately. Angler’s Covey says that shore fishing is still possible, but with the fish moving constantly, anglers will have better luck out on a boat or kayak.
“As we progress into the Stillwater season, the fish have started to venture out into the lake more,” Angler’s Covey Reports. “Shore anglers may notice things getting a bit slower now, which is expected. Again, this is a great time to get out in the lake in some type of watercraft. Static indicator rigs are working extremely well right now with 2 or even 3 flies.”
Tarryall Reservoir north of Lake George was stocked about a month ago and it has also been a hot spot for many types of catches this spring. Several anglers have caught fish between 16 and 20 inches long, and shore fishing has stayed decent. But the experts still recommend a boat because the fish are starting to move into the center of the lake.
Impressive River Fishing Reports
Even though some local anglers enjoy taking the drive to Buena Vista, Canon City or Pueblo to fish the Arkansas River, there are several sections of the South Platte River near the Ute Pass region that produce good-sized fish.
In the gold medal fishing section of the South Platte near Deckers (about 20 miles north of Woodland Park), the flows have been low, but the fishing has been great, even though the river has experienced much busy action. “Things can definitely still be on the technical side, but the fish are feeding a lot heavier now and that makes them a little less picky,” Angler’s Covey reported.
In the Dream Stream gold medal section that runs between Spinney and 11 Mile Reservoirs, fishing has been reported a bit better since the flows have been raised to 83 Cubic Feet per Second (cfs). Nymphing and dry fly fishing have proven to be the best fly fishing techniques lately.
The Middle Fork of the South Platte west of 11 Mile and Spinney Reservoirs has been experiencing heavy spring runoff, which has made fishing rather difficult. As soon as the flows slow down to under 100 cfs, the fishing will drastically improve in this section.
Other more local fishing options also have received good reports for this time of year. Many local anglers have said that Manitou Lake, just north of Woodland Park and the pond at Memorial Park, have produced some decent fish after being stocked about a month ago.
