Despite Drought Conditions, Angler Hot Spots Thriving Locally
Trevor Phipps
It seems like every week I hear of a new watering hole in Colorado getting drained and closed for fishing action.
In addition, popular hangouts that still exist have experienced historically low water levels, which has made fishing difficult or impossible. These conditions have spread to several well-known lakes and rivers across the state.
Reports of ultra-dry conditions have created panic in some parts of our area. Recently, someone even called the restaurant at Deckers the other day to ask if there was still water in the river near the eatery. The answer was of course “yes.” But this just goes to show the conditions and associated fears running rampant across the state.
In the beginning of the summer, anglers were sad to hear about the closure of Antero Reservoir. However, by draining Antero, the waters along the South Platte River and the reservoirs below Antero have benefitted. The increase in flows in certain sections of the river and the changing depths in reservoirs, such as Spinney, 11 Mile and Cheesman, have been mostly good news for fishermen.
Personally, I have had a busy summer and so haven’t made it out fishing as much as I would like. But I have heard tales from anglers coming through Deckers. And recently, I did get to partake in a trip to 11 Mile Reservoir.
As for the Deckers area, it has been hit or miss. Some are disappointed in either getting skunked, or just not being able to land more than one or two prized catches.
But it seems like those who really know the river in the Deckers area have had plenty of luck. One person I talked to even showed off a picture of his personal best, a 16-inch Brown trout.
When I did finally visit 11 Mile, the day was perfect. The temperatures were hot everywhere, but a cool breeze across the lake made the experience comfortable.
The fishing really wasn’t anything to write home about as three of us spent an hour or two on the shore trying multiple baits, flies and lures without even a nudge. I finally got what I thought was a big fish hit around noon, but he tangled my line in the thick weeds close to the shore, and I lost him.
About 20 minutes later though, my green power bait eggs paid off again as I got another hit. This time though after a decent fight, I was able to wrangle in the 16-inch rainbow trout. Bu that was the only fish caught by my group all day.
Anglers in other local hotspots have also seen an increase in luck after the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) stocked two local reservoirs on July 31. Crystal Creek Reservoir at the foot of Pikes Peak and Rampart Reservoir located southeast of Woodland Park were stocked with trout at the end of last month.
And since my personal fishing experiences have been limited this year, the following is a review of what some of the local fishing reports online and other expert anglers have to say.
Good Fishing Reports at South Platte River
Starting at the Dream Stream, the fly-fishing shop down the Pass says that the flows have been low, but they haven’t been terrible. There are still fish to catch even though Spinney Reservoir is currently sitting around 56 percent full, and the fishing there has been sparse.
Down in the 11 Mile Canyon area, though, the flows have been abnormally high. The fishing has been good, but the river has been crowded most days with anglers and people enjoying other types of river-style recreation.
Cheesman Canyon has seen high flows and cold temperatures. But one guide said that there were no bugs, therefore no fish.
Guides in the Deckers stretch of the South Platte have reported the river as being a “hit or miss.” One Angler’s Covey guide, Greg Blessing, said on August 1 the fishing was “Good, #18 Orange and Copper Radiation Baetis, water temp 59 degrees at 10 am.” But guide Cheyne Landrum had a different story the day before: “Beautiful day, nice flows, but no bugs, and no fish in the net. No major hatches, just a sporadic caddis or midge here and there.”
The Angler’s Covey website rates the fishing good at 11 Mile as it is currently “pretty full.” “This is by far the current favorite location as far as our South Park Reservoirs go,” the Angler’s Covey website reports.
11 Mile Marina Fishing Report
Since most agree that 11 Mile has been a good go-to spot for fishing recently, I enjoy visiting the reservoir marina’s website (11milesports.com/fishing-
While the website rates Kokanee salmon fishing as fair to good, the rating for trout and Northern Pike fishing have been good to very good. “Plenty of action continues from shore,” the 11 Mile Marina report states. “Bait, lures and flies. Calm conditions make it a little more difficult, but afternoon breezes bring on the bites. Boaters doing well on Cutbows running 14 to 17 inches and bigger. Occasional Browns and Cutthroats also being landed.”
In conclusion, I am hoping that fishing conditions across the state continue to improve, as we start to experience more storms in the region. Besides, my favorite time of the year for fishing has been the late summer or early fall season in September and even October. Those prime times will be here soon.
