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|Trout fishing remains good from boats.
Aurora Reservoir|Power Bait on a slip rig continues to be the most effective.
Barr Lake|Anglers continue to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass on a wide variety of baits and lures.
Bear Creek|Dry-fly fishermen are doing well with Hoppers, Black Ants, Adams and Gray Uglies.
Bear Creek Reservoir|Best fishing spots are the Bear Creek inlet and the fishing pier at Pelican Point.
Berkeley Lake|Trout fishing is slow, but crappie and bluegill can be caught on Power Grubs and bass in the evening on small spinnerbaits.
Centennial Park Lake|The east side of the lake is yielding some bass, catfish and sunfish caught on minnows fished fairly close to shore.
Chatfield ponds|Occasional largemouth bass are being caught on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and plastic worms.
Chatfield Reservoir|Some nice catfish have been caught near both inlets on stinkbaits and shrimp.
Cherry Creek Reservoir|Catfish are biting on stinkbaits and cut baits in the shallows on the south side of the lake.
Clear Creek (above Colorado 119)|Fly-fishers are doing well with Elk Hair Caddis, BWOs, PMDs, Brassies, Copper Johns.
Clear Lake|The north shore remains the best place to catch some nice stocker trout. Use night crawlers, salmon eggs or Power Bait.
Evergreen Lake|Trout fishing is generally slow, though some are being caught on bait.
Georgetown Lake|Anglers have been catching rainbow trout of up to 14 inches on Power Bait, salmon eggs and night crawlers, mostly along the western shore.
Gross Reservoir|Shorecasters have been catching some nice rainbow trout near the dam on bait.
Jim Baker Reservoir|Fishing is slow. A few catfish are being caught on shrimp and turkey livers, and some crappie have been caught on minnows fished beneath a float.
Main Lake|Mornings and evenings use plastic worms, spinnerbaits or buzzbaits in the shallows for bass.
Quincy Reservoir|Fishing for bass and trout is fair at best. Action improves during cold fronts.
Rocky Mountain Lake|A few trout being caught on Power Bait, Nitro Bait, small night crawlers and salmon eggs.
Sloan’s Lake|Use corn for carp, live minnows below a bobber for crappie.
Smith Reservoir|Some nice bass are being caught on soft plastic crayfish and lizard imitations fished along the shoreline.
South Platte River (Waterton Canyon)|Upper section, restricted to flies and lures only, has the best trout fishing. Fly-fishers do well with ants, Comparaduns, Blue Duns, Brassies, Pheasant Tails and RS-2s.
Standley Lake|Smallmouth were hitting on spinners, jigs and Gitzits; walleyes on harnessed crawlers and yellow Twister tails.
Washington Park lakes|Only a few catfish are being hooked on night crawlers fished in the evening.
Webster Lake|Turkey or chicken livers, shad side, night crawlers and stinkbaits all catch catfish.
Northeast
Barker Reservoir|Best go early or late in the day and use Power Bait, Nitro Bait, salmon eggs or worms.
Bellaire Lake|Bait fishing is good on the northeast side with Power Bait, salmon eggs and Nitro Bait.
Big Creek lakes|Grayling continue to hit on No. 20-22 Parachute Baetis, Ginger Quill Emergers and No. 18-20 Disco Midges fished in the surface film.
Big Thompson ponds|Fishing for bass, sunfish and catfish is very good.
Big Thompson River|Water is clear and fishing is improving. Best action is before noon and after sundown.
Boedecker Reservoir|Contains mostly catfish and they are being caught on chicken livers.
Boulder Reservoir|Fishing is slow except for some morning and evening action.
Boyd Lake|Anglers are enjoying good surface action on smallmouth bass early in the morning.
Carter Reservoir|Walleye fishing has been good along the east shore using jigs tipped with night crawlers.
Chambers Lake|Bait fishing is very good in shoreline pockets using Power Bait, Power Nuggets, Fireballs and worms.
Cowdrey Lake|Fishing for stocked trout is fair to good with bait of all kinds.
Douglas Reservoir|Anglers catching some nice wipers on Rat-L-Traps, Rapalas and large No. 2-4 streamer flies.
Dowdy Lake (Red Feather)|Trout fishing remains fair to good on a variety of lures and bait.
Dumont Lake|Stocked rainbow trout and small- to medium-sized brook trout can be caught from shore using a variety of dry flies.
East Delaney Lake|Leech and terrestrial patterns continue to be the most effective.
Estes Lake|Bait fishers do well with a single Fireball drifted on 4-pound line about a foot underwater.
Flatiron Reservoir|Trout fishing is still good. Night crawlers and Power Bait are the most effective baits.
Hidden Lakes|Stambaugh Reservoir has produced some nice rainbows and cutbows using Kastmasters, gold-red Thomas Buoyants 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.
Horsetooth Reservoir|A few keepers have been caught in the South Bay and Inlet Bay areas on night crawlers and minnow imitations.
Jackson Reservoir|Nice trout taken on the typical baits.
Joe Wright Reservoir|Many grayling of 8 to 11 inches are being caught at mid-lake on No. 18 or smaller Parachute Baetis, Quill Body Emerger and Mosquito Larva fished in or just beneath the surface film.
Jumbo Reservoir|Fishing is poor.
Lake John|Anglers using crayfish imitation bass plugs have caught some larger rainbows.
Laramie River at Hohnholz State Wildlife Area|Panther Martins, Vibrax and Mepps Black Furies will take fish.
Lonetree Reservoir|Good topwater action on wipers of up to 6 pounds.
Long Draw Reservoir|Fishing is good to very good, especially around the inlet, using No. 3-5 Rapalas, Thomas Roughriders, Little Tigers and Arrows.
Lon Hagler Reservoir|Occasional tiger muskies are being caught.
Lost Lake (at Chambers)|Fishing for recently stocked trout remains good using bait, flies and lures.
North Delaney Lake|Leeches are a good bet.
North Fork of the North Platte River|Anglers continue to score well with terrestrials during the day.
North Michigan Lake|Fish deep with most action between 6 and 15 feet down, whether trolling, casting metal lures or bait.
North Park streams|Fishing is good with multiple hatches of flies and terrestrials.
North Platte River|Terrestrials are catching a lot of fish.
North Sterling Reservoir|Trout and catfish are still the best bet.
Parvin Lake (Red Feather)|Belly-boaters have the advantage over shorecasters.
Pinewood Reservoir|Anglers using night crawlers and Power Bait have been doing really well in Fisherman’s Cove.
Poudre River|Fishing is good to excellent. Lure casters do well with Panther Martin spinners and bait is very effective where permitted.
Prewitt Reservoir|Fishing for all species is poor.
Ranger Lakes|Bait fishermen do well with the typical baits.
Seeley Lake|Weedless rigs are almost a must.
Seymour Reservoir|Very good with bait.
Simpson ponds|Spinnerbaits and topwater plugs are catching small bass in the back pond.
Slack Weiss Reservoir|Frequent stocking has made for good bait fishing at the base of the hill below the parking lot.
South Delaney Lake|Leeches have become a primary food source for the big browns and cutbows.
St. Vrain River|Flow is clear and easy to fish, but waders should use caution in the canyon.
Teal and Tiago Lakes|Lily pads are clogging some shorelines. Trout fishing is slow.
Watson Lake|One angler caught a 20-inch smallmouth near the inlet pipe recently using a Vibrax Minnow Spin lure.
Wellington Reservoir No. 4|Catfish are about all that’s biting.
West Lake (Red Feather)|Fishing is good for recently stocked trout with small Kastmasters, gold-red Thomas Buoyants and Tasmanian Devils on the east and south sides.
Northwest
Blue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir)|Try a hopper trailing a Copper John or Brassy dropper.
Blue River (Dillon to Green Mountain Reservoir)|Fishing the tailwater with Mysis Shrimp and Pale Morning Duns is most productive.
Colorado River (below Parshall)|Fish are rising to Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, a few Yellow Sallies, hoppers, ants and other terrestrials.
Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle)|Clear green and fishing is good.
Colorado River (near Granby)|Lure casters do best with Rapalas, Kastmasters and Blue Fox spinners.
Crystal River|Fishing well with decent hatches of Caddis and Green Drakes.
Elk River|Caddis, hoppers and Pale Morning Duns provide most of the action but look for Golden Stones soon.
Freeman Reservoir|Fishing for cutthroat trout is hit-or-miss with belly-boaters doing better than shorecasters.
Fryingpan River|Fishing continues to be very good. Blue Wing Olives hatch 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the upper river, 2 to 4 miles below the dam.
Granby Reservoir|Lake trout are deep, making vertical jigging the most effective method.
Grand Lake|Trolling Kastmasters or jigging tubes with shiners and suckers is still the most effective method of catching lake trout.
Green Mountain Reservoir|Boaters are catching a few kokanee on bright red, green, or pink Mepps, Needlefish and Tasmanian Devils.
Green River|Trout fishing remains very good with decent fish hitting on Woolly Buggers, hoppers, Mosquitoes, spinners and bait of all kinds.
Harvey Gap Reservoir|Crappie continue to bite well along the west shore and near the spillway on chartreuse and pink jigs tipped with a piece of worm.
Highline Lake|Crappie are hitting well on crappie jigs along the dam and bass are being taken on spinnerbaits at the north end.
Lake Avery|Boaters trolling spinners are still doing well on trout early mornings and late evenings, but fishing is slow for shorecasters.
Mack Mesa Lake|Fly-fishing for grass carp is all the rage.
Muddy Creek|The tailwater below Wolford Reservoir is fishing well.
Pearl Lake|Fishing has been slow.
Rifle Gap Reservoir|Walleye fishing is good at night near the dam and the south tip of the island.
Rio Blanco Lake|Anglers are catching lots of pike in the 20-inch range on black and white Dardevles.
Roaring Fork River|Trout fishing remains very good with clear flows and good evening hatches of Green Drakes from Basalt to Aspen.
Shadow Mountain Reservoir|Trout action has picked up at the north end of the lake and pumping in the canal improved kokanee fishing around the inlet.
Stagecoach Reservoir|Trout are still fairly active around Lot 14 and directly west of the Keystone Day Use Area.
Steamboat Lake|Moss and algae are collecting along shore, making fishing difficult.
Trappers Lake|Fly-fishers have been catching mostly cutthroats on Parachute Adams, Renegade and Irresistibles.
Vega Reservoir|Fishing is improving from boat or shore and the creek also is producing some nice catches of trout.
White River|Nice catches of rainbows and browns, most on terrestrial patterns.
Williams Fork Reservoir|Pike fishing remains fair to good using large spoons or spinners around Three Rocks and in the fingers.
Williams Fork River|Flow is clear with good hatches of Blue Wing Olives, midges and small olive Caddis.
Willow Creek Reservoir|Fishing is good early morning and late afternoon.
Wolford Reservoir|Fishing has slowed some but remains quite good for kokanee salmon in 25 to 30 feet of water on the east side of the reservoir near the dam.
Yampa River (Hayden through Craig)|Fishing for smallmouth bass and pike continues to be very good with anglers making nice catches behind the Craig golf course and South Beach.
Yampa River (Stagecoach through Steamboat)|Fishing is good in the tailwater below Stagecoach Reservoir with midges, Caddis and Tricos.
Southeast
Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake)|Channel cats are being caught on night crawlers, shrimp and cut carp or shad.
Arkansas River No. 3 (through Pueblo)|Frequent stocking of this stretch of river makes for excellent fishing.
Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida)|Anglers continue to enjoy good action on hoppers, terrestrials, attractor dries and small beadhead nymphs.
Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista)|Fishing with attractor dries and small beadhead nymphs remains the primary tactic on this reach.
Arkansas River (Salida to Cañon City)|Hoppers and other terrestrials are taking a lot of fish.
Bonny Reservoir|Catfish are about all that’s biting.
Elevenmile Reservoir|Trolling for trout is very good through mid-morning and again in mid-afternoon using Tasmanian Devils, Dick Nites, Kastmasters and Arnies.
Horseshoe Reservoir|Trout fishing is picking up and bass are biting on a regular basis.
Jefferson Lake|Fishing is good for rainbow trout, splake and small mackinaw.
John Martin Reservoir|Some channel catfish still are being caught in the stilling basin below the dam.
Nee Gronda Reservoir|Fishing for wipers and saugeyes is slow but nice catfish are being caught on the typical catfish baits.
Nee Noshe Reservoir|White bass/wiper action is fair on trolled crank baits despite extremely shallow water.
Pueblo Reservoir|After heavy rains, the upper part of the reservoir is discolored by inflow from the Arkansas River but the lower part near the dam usually stays clear.
Quail Lake|Fishing is fair to good for stocked rainbow trout, small bluegills and yellow perch.
South Platte River (between Spinney and Elevenmile)|Trout fishing is good mornings and evenings.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir|Lake level is dropping again but fishing is good from boats or belly boats.
Trinidad Reservoir|Cooler weather and a few showers have helped the fishing, which remains good for trout, fair for walleyes and catfish.
Wahatoya Reservoir|Fair to good with flies and lures.
Southwest
Animas River|Best bets are flashy streamer patterns and nymphs.
Beaver Creek Reservoir|Shorecasters are catching lots of rainbow trout on pink Power Bait.
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 continues to be good early and late in the day casting Rapalas or Marabou Jigs from shore.
Conejos County (high country lakes)|All lakes are accessible and fishing is good at many of them.
Conejos County (small streams)|Fishing well but running so clear trout spook easily.
Conejos River|Flows are low and clear and fishing is good.
Dolores River (lower)|Catch-and-release, restricted to flies and lures only.
Dolores River (upper)|Clarity is good and fishing is very good.
Gunnison River (below Crystal Dam)|Anglers fishing dries do best with Hoppers, Stimulators, Royal Wulffs, Caddis and Tricos.
Gunnison River (through the canyon)|Hot fly remains a Madam X Parachute hopper but Caddis, Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies and Red Copper Johns also catch fish.
Gunnison River (upper from Almont to Blue Mesa)|Very good late summer fishing with Caddis, Blue Wing Olives, Ginger Quills, Yellow Sallies, Pale Morning Duns and Golden Stones.
McPhee Reservoir|Kokanee and trout are providing action on deep-trolled spoons, spinners and Pop Geer.
Mountain Home Reservoir|Fishing for stocked rainbow trout is good using Power Bait.
Navajo Reservoir|Pike are biting on perch-colored crankbaits and chartreuse spinners off the points.
Piedra River|Water is clear and dry-fly fishing is excellent in the evening with Caddis, stoneflies, Blue Wing Olives, Hare’s Ears, yellow hoppers, green Copper Johns and Woolly Buggers.
Rio Grande River|Good using nymphs, attractor dries and streamer flies.
Road Canyon Reservoir|Shorecasters can enjoy fair to good action on rainbow trout using red or pink Power Bait.
Taylor Reservoir|Anglers report catching northern pike in shallow, grassy spots.
Taylor River|Caddis, Pale Morning Dun, Blue Wing Olives and Ginger Quills are still coming off midday, all in sizes 14-18.
Trujillo Meadows Reservoir|Most brown and rainbow trout have been caught on worms or Power Bait fished off the bottom.
Vallecito Reservoir|Anglers report good fishing with red and silver spinners, salmon eggs and Cowbells.
Williams Creek Reservoir|Shorecasters using Power Bait and salmon eggs can catch trout all day.
Stocking report
The following bodies of water have been stocked in recent weeks by the Colorado Division of Wildlife:
Barker Reservoir, east of Nederland; Grand Lake; Grizzly Reservoir, southeast of Aspen; Gypsum Ponds, east of Gypsum; Mary’s Lake, southwest of Lake Estes; Meadow Creek Reservoir, east of Tabernash; Pine Valley Ranch Lake, west of Pine; Red Rock Lake, west of Ward; Ruedi Reservoir, east of Basalt; St. Anns Pond, south fork of the South Platte River; Sweetwater Lake, northwest of Dotsero; Sylvan Lake, southeast of Eagle; Wolford Mountain Reservoir, north of Kremmling.
