The following fishing and stocking report is produced by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. For further information, call 303-291-7534.
Denver area
Arvada Reservoir: Orange Power Bait works best for shorecasters. Boaters have been doing well on trout by trolling assorted spoons and spinners.
Aurora Reservoir: Water level is high, and temperature is 67 degrees. Fishing for trout has been fair to good for shorecasters off the dam using red and orange Power Bait or silver Kastmasters. From boats, several trout in 2- to 3-pound range have been caught on trolled Kastmasters, Needlefish, brightly colored Rapalas or flashers with crawlers.
Barr Lake: Trout fishing is slowing down, but warmwater species are becoming more active. Bass and catfish are beginning to hit with some regularity. Use buzzbaits or soft plastics for bass, cut bait or stink baits for catfish, big angry-colored plugs for tigers.
Bear Creek: Still somewhat off-color, but clearing.
Bear Creek Reservoir: Fishing for stocker trout has been good; most are being caught on salmon eggs, worms or Fireballs at the Bear Creek inlet and Pelican Point.
Berkeley Lake: Fishing for stocked trout has slowed though a few are still being caught on Power Bait, Nitro Bait and small night crawlers.
Centennial Park Lake: Trout fishing is good along the north shore using Nitro Bait or a Renegade fly and bubble. The shoreline and pier area are good for small sunfish and bass.
Chatfield Ponds: Some nice largemouth bass are being caught on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and plastic worms. Best fishing time is in the evenings.
Chatfield Reservoir: Trolling for walleyes continues to produce large numbers of fish, though most have to be released because they are under the 18-inch size minimum. Fish leeches or night crawlers on the lake bottom about 12 to 14 feet deep.
Cherry Creek Reservoir: Anglers have enjoyed excellent fishing for walleyes and catfish this past week. Catfish action is best evenings and into the night using crawlers, stinkbaits or cut shad around the west side of the lake from the picnic structures down to Cottonwood Creek.
Clear Creek (above Colorado 119): Though the creek is still running high and often dirtied by rain storms, fishing has been quite good in the upper reaches.
Clear Lake: Power Bait and Nitro Bait work best here. This lake harbors large numbers of smaller rainbow and brook trout.
Evergreen Lake: Trout fishing remains hit or miss. Some anglers are doing well with Power Bait and night crawlers; others are skunked.
Georgetown Lake: Fishing for trout is excellent with fish of up to 14 inches being caught on Power Bait (pink and green most effective) and salmon eggs. The west shoreline is most productive.
Gross Reservoir: Shorecasters have been having fair success on trout up to 18 inches using Kastmasters, Dardevles and Tasmanian Devils. Denver Water now allows nonmotorized boating – canoes, kayaks, rowboats or rubber rafts – but no belly boats and windsurfers.
Jim Baker Reservoir: A good lake for catching small perch on ultralight tackle baited with a small night crawler or Gulp Grub.
Ketring Park Lake: Small bluegill, perch and catfish have been stocked here after repairs last year, but it will take a couple of years for them to reach catchable size.
Main Lake: Bass fishing is fair to good using black or brown tube jigs and plastic worms, retrieved very slowly along the shoreline.
Quincy Reservoir: Bass fishing is excellent at this time. Early morning and evening are most productive with soft plastics and top-water lures. Trout fishing is fair using a #20 Green Midge pattern with a crystal flash. Perch action is fair to good using jigs in deeper water. Fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures only and boats are restricted to hand-carried craft and electric motors.
Rocky Mountain Lake: Trout fishing has slowed with the warmer weather but a few are still being caught on Power Bait, Nitro Bait, small night crawlers and salmon eggs.
Smith Reservoir: A good lake for largemouth bass. Cast purple plastic worms or dark colored tube jigs in the shallows and retrieve very slowly.
South Platte River (Waterton Canyon): There have been good Caddis hatches between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. with sporadic Pale Morning Duns throughout the day.
Standley Lake: Lake is full, and anglers are catching plenty of stocked trout left over from last year. Wipers, walleyes and crappie are also becoming more active.
Washington Park Lakes: Crappie have been biting well here on small tube jigs tipped with a minnow. A few of these fish approach 12 inches. Trout action is slow.
Webster Lake: Best baits for trout are Power Bait and salmon eggs. For perch try Gulp Maggots on a jighead or small Fle Fly jigs, fished deeper than for trout.
Northeast
Barker Reservoir: Lake is full to overflowing, water is clear and fishing for stocked trout is good with Power or Nitro Bait, worms and salmon eggs.
Bellaire Lake: Damselflies are hatching sporadically depending on the weather. On warm days, there’s a hatch, but none on cool days.
Big Thompson Ponds: Anglers are making nice catches of catfish in the back pond on stinkbaits.
Big Thompson River: Best fishing is still in the pocket water and holding water close the banks. Fish are feeding on small stoneflies, midges and a few caddis.
Boedecker Reservoir: Anglers have been catching catfish up to 5 pounds on chicken livers.
Boulder Reservoir: Fishing for walleyes is good, especially off the north dam, using brown or chartreuse jigs.
Boyd Lake: Lake is full, recently stocked and most trout are being caught on bait cast from shore at the inlet channel.
Chambers Lake: Fishing at the three inlet streams is good using Panther Martins, Mepps Aglia and Vibrax spinners.
Cowdrey Lake: Fishing for stocked trout is fair to good with bait of all kinds.
Douglas Reservoir: Anglers report catching some nice wipers on Rat-L-Traps, Rapalas and streamer flies.
Dowdy Lake (Red Feather): Fishing remains good for trout using Thomas Buoyants, Little Cleos and perch scaled-pattern Dardevles or Devledogs.
Dumont Lake: The campground is open, lake has been stocked and fishing for rainbows is good with bait and bright-colored metal lures.
East Delaney Lake: Midges, Mayflies and mosquitoes provide the main sources of trout food.
Estes Lake: The Big Thompson River is flowing in at the rate of 603 cubic feet per second (cfs), muddying the inlet but the rest of the lake is clearer.
Flatiron Reservoir: Reservoir is well stocked with trout that hit early on bait, especially orange Power Bait.
Hidden Lakes: Stambaugh Reservoir has produced some nice rainbows and cutbows of up to 3 pounds for anglers using Kastmasters and Little Cleos.
Hohnholz Lakes: Lake No. 2 has been stocked with catchable rainbows and will produce good catches for bait fishermen using Power Bait, Fireballs and night crawlers. Fishing on No. 3 has been good with Thomas Buoyants, Tasmanian Devils and Little Cleos.
Horsetooth Reservoir: Bass fishermen are catching loads of smallmouth with spinners, worm harnesses, jigs and spoons. Color is the key.
Jackson Reservoir: Trout fishing has been good using Power Bait, shrimp, salmon eggs and crawlers.
Joe Wright Reservoir: Grayling and trout are biting well on #20 midge emerger nymphs and small metal lures such as #2 Swedish Pimple or 1/12th-ounce Kastmasters on 2-pound test line.
Jumbo Reservoir: Jumbo Reservoir is full but fishing for all species is very slow.
Lake John: Anglers using crayfish imitation bass plugs have been hammering big rainbow trout of 3 to 8 pounds.
Laramie River at Hohnholz SWA: Flow is down to 339 cfs, but still muddy, overflowing its banks in some spots and difficult to fish.
Lonetree Reservoir: The reservoir is full and wiper action is starting to pick up with top-water plugs such as Skitter Pops, Pop-Rs, Chug Bugs and Spit-n-King.
Long Draw Reservoir: Fishing is usually excellent here immediately after ice-out, which occurred less than a week ago.
Lon Hagler Reservoir: Fishing for stocked trout remains good with Power Bait, Nitro Bait and night crawlers.
Lost Lake (at Chambers): Fishing for recently stocked trout is good using bait or Hornbergs and Beadhead Woolly Buggers.
North Delaney Lake: Midges and callibaetis are the main hatches. When the bugs aren’t active Woolly Buggers, Matukas, Hornbergs, Muddler Minnows and Scuds catch fish.
North Fork of the North Platte River: Running high, muddy and still tough to fish.
North Michigan Lake: Fishing is fair to good for anglers drifting black Woolly Buggers, Halfbacks and Hornbergs.
North Sterling Reservoir: Water temperature is around 75 degrees. Fishing for wipers, walleyes and trout is fair to good; slow for crappie.
Parvin Lake (Red Feather): Belly-boaters have a definite advantage over shorecasters here because they can cast back to the shore. They have enjoyed good fishing in the north half of the lake using Kastmasters, Tasmanian Devils and Fiord spoons.
Pinewood Reservoir: Fishing is still good for trout with Fisherman’s Cove the best producer.
Poudre River: Flow is 1,480 cfs, still high and muddy, tough to fish and dangerous to wade.
Ranger Lakes: Fishing has been poor but should improve as both lakes will be stocked several times this summer.
Seeley Lake: The lake is full and weed growth provides great habitat for trout and bass, but also robs anglers of many lures.
Seymour Reservoir: Lake has been stocked with catchable-sized rainbow trout and fishing for them is very good with night crawlers, Power Bait and Nitro Bait.
Simpson Ponds: Anglers have been catching small bass on spinnerbaits, mostly in the back pond.
Slack Weiss Reservoir: Trout fishing remains good with most fish taken on bait at the foot of the hill below the parking lot.
South Delaney Lake: Midges are swarming on warm, sunny days and callibaetis are starting.
St. Vrain River: Still muddy and unfishable.
Teal and Tiago Lakes: Trout fishing is good using Thomas Buoyants, Cyclones, Devledogs and large Hornbergs.
Union Reservoir (Calkins): Trout fishing is slow but wiper action is good with most fish ranging from 16 to 19 inches and several up to 24 inches.
Watson Lake: It is no longer stocked with trout but still harbors some large leftover rainbows along with smallmouth bass, perch, walleyes, tiger muskies and catfish.
Wellington Reservoir #4: This lake has had many stockings of trout, which continue to bite well until the heat of summer.
West Lake (Red Feather): Fishing is good with small Kastmasters, Thomas Buoyants and Tasmanian Devils on the east and south sides.
Northwest
Blue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir): Flows below Green Mountain Reservoir are 780 cfs and very high.
Blue River (Dillon to Green Mountain Reservoir): Dillon Reservoir is full and spilling over the “glory hole,” raising the flow to 903 cfs.
Colorado River (below Parshall): Fishing is tough at best.
Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle): The Colorado is still high, discolored and unfishable.
Colorado River (near Granby): Fishing is extremely good as increased flows in the upper river below Shadow Mountain Reservoir are attracting many fish to the fast-moving, food-laden water.
Crystal River: Discolored and unfishable.
Fryingpan River: Many big fish are staging in the Toilet Bowl, Flats and Bend Pool.
Granby Reservoir: Fishing for lake trout is best deep-trolling, jigging with tube jigs or bait fishing with shiners or suckers.
Grand Lake: Trolling Kastmasters or jigging tubes with shiners and suckers is most productive for lake trout.
Green Mountain Reservoir: The lake is full and fishing is good, best early mornings and evenings. Lake trout are 50 feet down and deeper.
Green River: Trout fishing remains very good with Woolly Buggers, beadhead nymphs, stonefly nymphs, and midge imitations.
Harvey Gap Reservoir: Boaters are landing rainbow trout on a variety of lures including sinking Rapalas and spinners. Shorecasters do best with worms or Power Bait resting on the bottom in 15 to 30 feet of water.
Highline Lake: Crappie are biting well on crappie jigs along the dam and the occasional bass can be caught on crankbaits at the north end of the lake.
Lake Avery: Trout fishing remains excellent.
Mack Mesa Lake: Lake is full, water temperature is 77 degrees and trout fishing has slowed though a few continue to be caught.
Muddy Creek: Flow is 59 cfs below Wolford Reservoir and the tailwater is fishing well.
Pearl Lake: Deep nymphing is the way to go here. Black Woolly Buggers or weighted Pistol Petes allowed to sink to the bottom before a slow retrieve catch the most fish.
Rifle Gap Reservoir: Several walleyes of 6 to 10 pounds have been caught in recent weeks, mostly on worm harnesses or crankbaits fished near the dam.
Rio Blanco Lake: Bass and crappie continue to provide most of the action.
Roaring Fork River: Currently the river is too high and discolored to fish effectively.
Shadow Mountain Reservoir: Anglers are doing well in the canal and some nice browns are also being caught from shore near the dam on mealworms, waxworms and night crawlers.
Stagecoach Reservoir: The reservoir if full and spilling. Wet weather has clouded the water but warmer forecasts promise to heat up the pike fishing.
Steamboat Lake: Lake is full and trout are feeding mostly on the surface, in the top 10 inches, or on the bottom.
Trappers Lake: Anglers report good catches of brook trout 10 to 14 inches, mostly on black and olive Woolly Buggers and yellow spinners.
Vega Reservoir: Trout of 12 to 22 inches can be caught all over the lake on Power Bait, worms or flies.
White River: The river is still high and off-color but lure casters using Panther Martins have been catching some big brown trout of 26 to 30 inches.
Williams Fork Reservoir: Pike fishing has slowed during their spawn but lake trout are hitting well on sucker meat at 20- to 30-foot depths.
Williams Fork River: Flowing at 219 cfs below the reservoir with continuing hatches of Blue Wing Olives, midges and small olive Caddis.
Willow Creek Reservoir: Fishing is still excellent. This is a “no wake” lake loaded with rainbows, browns and kokanee salmon.
Wolford Reservoir: Water has cleared and fishing is very good especially around the inlet. Rainbows, browns and cutbows are all hitting on Panther Martins, Kastmasters, Blue Fox spinners and Woolly Buggers.
Yampa River (Hayden through Craig): Anglers should stick to the small lakes and ponds between Hayden and Craig, which have been stocked with pike removed from the river to save native and endangered fish species.
Yampa River (Stagecoach through Steamboat): Flow is 1,240 cfs in downtown Steamboat Springs, still high but clearing.
Southeast
Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake): Fishing for catfish remains good, with many blue and channel cats caught on night crawlers, shrimp and cut carp or shad.
Anticline Lake: The lake is stocked early and often.
Arkansas River No. 3 (through Pueblo): Frequent stocking of this stretch of river (again last week) makes for excellent fishing.
Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida): Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies, Caddis and Pale Morning Duns are hatching on this reach.
Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista): Flows are 500 cfs at Hayden Meadows and 878 cfs at Granite.
Arkansas River (Salida to Cañon City): Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, Caddis and Pale Morning Duns are active.
Bonny Reservoir: White bass and wipers are still hitting well near the face of the dam, mostly on minnows and jigs.
Brush Hollow Reservoir: Fishing is fair to good for bass and crappie are biting near the dam.
Catamount Reservoirs, North & South: Fishing is slowing down though anglers are catching a few trout and mackinaw.
Clear Creek Reservoir: Fishing has been very good for recently stocked trout using rainbow Power Bait and salmon eggs on the bottom.
Cottonwood Lake: Fishing continues to be very good for rainbows and cutbows.
Crystal Creek Reservoir: Fishing is slowing down for catchable-sized rainbow trout as the water warms.
Daigre Reservoir: This reservoir has been stocked several times with catchable-sized rainbow trout and fishing for them is good with flies or lures.
DeWeese Reservoir: Reservoir is full, stocked with trout and fishing is good using all methods.
Elevenmile Reservoir: Trolling for trout is excellent at all depths using Needlefish, Tasmanian Devils, Kastmasters, Arnies and Super Dupers.
Hale and Hopper Ponds: Trout fishing has declined as the Hale Ponds warm up but bass fishing is excellent.
Hayden Meadows Reservoir: Water is clear and warming, and fishing is improving.
Horseshoe Reservoir: Lake is full, boat ramps and docks all usable and water temperature is 64 degrees.
Jefferson Lake: Rainbows are being caught mostly on Power Bait; lakers on tube jigs filled with Power Bait or black and white Dardevles.
John Martin Reservoir: Crappie continue to bite sporadically along the face of the dam and at the trestle.
Martin Lake: Bass are hitting on soft plastics and pike on large spoons, top-water plugs or streamer flies in the weed beds.
Montgomery Reservoir: Trout fishing is fair to good and should remain so because of an increase in the number of catchable trout available.
Monument Reservoir: This reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout and fishing for them is good with all methods.
Nee Gronda Reservoir: Fishing for wipers has slowed but anglers continue to catch limits of saugeyes on minnows and trolled or drifted jigs tipped with worms or green double-tailed Mr. Twisters.
Nichols Reservoir: This reservoir contains mostly stocked rainbows, with a few cutthroats and brookies.
North Lake: Stocked with trout recently and fishing for them should be good.
Pueblo Reservoir: Water is clear near the dam, clearing above the mid-lake shoals, with surface temperatures rising.
Quail Lake: Fishing is fair to good for stocked rainbow trout, small bluegills and yellow perch.
Rampart Reservoir: Fishing is good for catchable-sized trout.
Runyon Lake: Trout fishing is slowing down as the water warms.
San Isabel Lake: Water level is high and should remain so for the rest of summer.
Skaguay Reservoir: Pike fishing has been very good with anglers boating quite a few northerns on large spoons, top-water plugs and streamer flies.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir: Lake level is rising and trout fishing remains very good from shore or boat.
Tarryall Reservoir: Dam repairs have been completed, the reservoir is full and reopened to the public.
Trinidad Reservoir: Fishing continues to be very good for trout from shore or boat using various baits and lures. Walleyes are hitting well in 16 to 22 feet of water on bottom bouncers and harnessed crawlers.
Turks Pond: Anglers are still catching trout here but most of the action has switched to small wipers and bass.
Turqoise Lake: Lake trout have gone deeper and can now be found in 40 to 60 feet of water.
Twin Lakes: Fishing for rainbows and cutthroats is excellent.
Twin Lakes Forebay: Nice lake trout are being caught off the bottom with yellow Power Bait with glitter.
Southwest
Animas River: Flowing at 3,470 cfs, high, brown and unfishable.
Beaver Creek Reservoir: Fishing is good for rainbow trout using salmon eggs, worms, Power Bait and lures.
Big Meadows Reservoir: Fishing is good for brook and rainbow trout of 10 to 14 inches using typical baits and lures.
Blue Mesa Reservoir: Fishing remains good for rainbows and browns with shorecasters catching them on bait fished near the bottom and boaters on trolled Rapalas.
Dolores River (upper): The river is running at 1,500 cfs and continues to be high and discolored.
Echo Canyon Reservoir: Fishing continues to be excellent for all species using all methods.
Gunnison River (below Crystal Dam): The Salmonfly (pteronarcys) hatch is still going strong in the Black Canyon National Park.
Gunnison River (through the canyon): Salmonflies (pteronarcys) are flying now, and the big bugs are everywhere.
Gunnison River (upper from Almont to Blue Mesa): Fishing has been very good, with eager trout rising to most any dry fly drifted well along the banks.
Jackson Gulch Reservoir: The lake has been stocked with more than 10,000 trout this season and fishing for them remains good in the evening with Power Bait, night crawlers and salmon eggs.
La Jara Creek: Flows have dropped and fishing for brown trout has improved, though the water is still a little high and discolored.
McPhee Reservoir: Fishing for bass is fair and improving.
Navajo Reservoir: Lake is full and pike, smallmouth bass, crappie and catfish continue to bite well on the Colorado side of the reservoir.
Piedra River: The river is still running high and fast but water levels are starting to drop.
Ridgway Fishing Ponds: Fishing for recently stocked rainbow trout is very good. These two ponds in the Pa-Co-Chu-Puk area of Ridgway State Park are excellent for children, the only waters below the dam not restricted to flies and lures only or catch-and-release.
Rio Grande River: River is high but clearing and fishable by boat or raft. River was flowing at 3,760 cfs at Del Norte and 2,620 cfs at Wagon Wheel Gap.
San Juan River: Water levels are dropping and starting to clear. The Caddis hatch should be starting soon.
Taylor Reservoir: The Taylor River and creek inlets are still muddy but big pike continue to be caught in the shallows, mostly on frozen sucker meat.
Taylor River: There have been some small Green Drake hatches and Pale Morning Duns but the best fishing is still with a #10-14 Orange Stimulator or #14-16 Tan Caddis.
Vallecito Reservoir: Anglers are still catching northern pike on water dogs, but trout fishing has slowed. A few kokanee are still being caught on salmon eggs.
Williams Creek Reservoir: Fishing is good for rainbow, brown and brook trout.
STOCKING REPORT
The following bodies of water have been stocked in recent weeks by the Colorado Division of Wildlife:
Anticline Lake, below Pueblo Dam; Arkansas River #3B, Interstate 25 to Pueblo Dam; Aurora Reservoir, east of Aurora; Barker Reservoir, east of Nederland; Breckenridge Reservoir, southwest of Breckenridge; Breeze Pond, west of Parshall; Carter Reservoir, west of Berthoud; Chatfield Reservoir, C-470 and Wadsworth, Littleton; Columbia Reservoir, north of Alma; Dinkle Lake, southwest of Basalt; Easter Seal Camp Lake, Empire; Estes Lake, Estes Park; Fairplay Kids Pond, Fairplay; Fellowship Camp Pond, northwest Golden Gate State Park; Fountain Lake, east of Pueblo; Grizzly Reservoir, southeast of Aspen; Lake Avery, west of Buford; Littleton Flood Plain Pond #2, South Santa Fe Drive, north of C-470; Marys Lake, southwest of Estes Lake; Meadow Lake, north of New Castle; Old Dillon Reservoir, above Dillon Reservoir, southwest of dam; Quincy Reservoir, east of Cherry Creek Reservoir; Red Rock Lake, west of Ward; Runyon Lake, east of Pueblo; Seymour Reservoir, southwest of MacFarlane; Shadow Mountain Reservoir, south of Grand Lake; Silverthorne North Pond, Silverthorne; Slack Weiss Reservoir, southeast of Seymour Reservoir; Sylvan Lake, southeast of Eagle; Trinidad Reservoir, southwest of Trinidad; Vallecito Reservoir, north of Bayfield; Webster Lake, 117th & Washington, Northglenn; Wilmor Pond, west of Edwards.
