In a place like Colorado, it’s easy to get caught up in the mystique of fly-fishing. There is a charisma to the cast, allure in the artistry, satisfaction in unraveling the secrets of the discipline.
But the not-so-concealed reality is that for the vast majority, fly-fishing is a summer game. That’s when the requisite bugs are most obvious and readily available, the conditions most inviting. With a little practice and an elk-hair caddis, almost anyone can coax a trout into a surface take at sunset on the summer solstice.
During April’s apex, it’s a different challenge altogether. The water is cold, and aquatic insects are sparse and for the most part small. For all but the most dedicated fishermen, satisfaction is soon replaced by frustration.
Making matters worse is all this buzz about the , once-in-a-lifetime lunkers that only seem to show themselves just after winter ice melts, then retreat to deep water once the weather warms. There is truth to this talk. And while there are those fly-fishermen with the requisite skills to back it up, anglers with an honest interest in landing the big ones might consider breaking out some spin-casting gear.
Early spring fishing is tailor made for casting spinning rigs in still water. Whether it’s prespawn smallmouth bass chasing imitation baitfish on rocky shoals or leviathan lake trout seeking warmth and forage in the shallows after a long winter, the ability to cover an abundance of water even casting from shore is more likely to pay off right now than perhaps at any other time.
“It’s a good strategy to stay shallow in the springtime,” said Doug Krieger, senior aquatic biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “People that are shore fishing have a particular advantage during ice-out. That’s when people that don’t have the advantage of having a boat can get out and get into some nice fish.”
According to Krieger, who details the science in a recent podcast (coloradooutdoorsmag.com), the early transition to spring serves as one of the most productive times for lake fishing in Colorado, especially for large fish seeking to pack on the pounds after a long winter.
“Spring comes, things open up. We have a spring turnover, so all of the sudden the lake is homeothermic, which means the temperature equalizes. With that, the oxygen equalizes and the fish has many more places to go to,” Krieger said, adding that fish are attracted to shallower water that warms more quickly. “Having the fish come to them rather than having to go to the fish works to the advantage of the angler, particularly to get big fish. Big fish are usually older fish, they’re warier fish, and most times, given a choice, they’ll stay in the deeper, darker, more sheltered waters. In the springtime, they’re looking to get some weight on, start living large again.”
The phenomenon is particularly noticeable in those large Colorado reservoirs such as Lake Granby, Blue Mesa and Twin Lakes (at the foot of Independence Pass) that hold lake trout, or mackinaw, the state’s largest sport fish, known to weigh in at more than 50 pounds.
“My buddy has been killing it,” Mike Johnston of Kremmling said after landing his own 38-inch, 28-pound lake trout from Lake Granby last week. “He has already caught 20 lakers over 30 inches this spring.”
In lakes devoid of mackinaw, like the Delaney Buttes and Lake John in North Park or the South Park combo of Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile reservoirs, the attraction is enhanced by the spring spawning instincts of rainbow and cutthroat trout.
“They are going to get their cues when the water temperature gets to around 45 degrees, which occurs fairly rapidly in springtime,” Krieger said. “These big fish are cruising and looking for spawning type of opportunities. And with that desire for spawning, a lot of sense kind of goes out the window and they are a little more susceptible to being caught than at other times of the year.”
By now, the ice is generally gone from Colorado lakes at elevations above 8,000 feet, if not quite yet to 9,000 feet. That includes all those mentioned previously, with South Park’s uppermost reservoir at Antero poised for ice-out with the next round of warmth and wind. For those anglers challenged by the ethics of fishing during spawning season, Krieger notes that reproductive success is rare among lake-bound rainbows and cutthroat trout.
More common is the opportunity to drag a lure — or, for the dedicated fly-caster, a leech, scud or crayfish imitation — through the shallows and hook into a big surprise.
“We see that pattern typically in lake trout lakes where people who wouldn’t normally catch lake trout and aren’t particularly fishing for lake trout are all of the sudden into lake trout,” Kreiger said. “And it’s cool.”
