Northeast Region

Report provided with permission of the
Colorado Division of Wildlife

August 12, 2008

Barker Reservoir -- Fishing for catchable-sized trout has been fair to good. The north shore and inlet regions generally are the best locations. Try salmon eggs, worms and a selection of small spinning lures.

Barnes Meadow Reservoir -- Fishing has been good, with most anglers having good luck. Most of the successful anglers have been using Rooster Tail spinners or Power Bait.

Big Thompson River -- Flows below Lake Estes have been constant at about 129 cfs. Fishing has been good, though a bit crowded. Green drakes, pale-morning-duns, caddis and terrestrials have been the most effective. Fishing a dry-and-dropper setup will yield some good fish. Nymphs to try include No. 16 Z-Wing Caddis, Mangy Caddis and Glo-Bubble Caddis Pupa. For PMDs, use a No. 16-18 Pheasant Tail, Military May or Pickpocket. For dries, try Hatchmasters, No. 18-20; Thorax PMDs, No. 16-20; or Colorado Drakes, No. 12. For caddis try No. 16-18 Elk-Hair-Caddis. For Terrestrials a No. 14-16 beetle or No. 16-18 ants are good choices for dries. Fishing streamers is always a good option, as well. A nice down-and-across presentation with a dark Woolly Bugger or leech pattern may trigger a strike.

Boyd Lake -- The water level is stable and the surface temperature is in the mid-70s. Fishing in general has been slow, but fishermen have been catching some good-sized bluegills, as well as a few white bass and catfish in the evenings. The main boat ramp is open; the Heron Cove ramp is closed. Check the DOW's regulations booklet for size restrictions on walleyes and largemouth and smallmouth bass. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a mercury advisory for large walleyes from the lake. Call the park office at (970) 669-1739 for additional information.

Carter Reservoir -- Walleye fishing is slowing down, but still is better than average. The Saddle area is the best place to catch walleyes from shore. Carter also was stocked with quite a few 2 1/2-pound trout, but with rising water temperatures those fish are suspended in the thermocline, generally inaccessible to shore fishermen.

Chambers Lake -- The fishing is picking up along the shore. Gold or silver spinners and Power Bait seem to be working best. Anglers also have been getting trout on night crawlers off the bottom, and fly fishermen have been taking brown trout on a white miller pattern. The level is a little low but the boat ramp remains usable.

Douglas Reservoir -- The water level remains good and the boat ramp is usable. Fishing for trout has been slow, but wipers should be getting active at any time. Mussels and leeches are favored by many of the reservoir's wiper fishermen. The reservoir also has bass, crappie, walleyes and carp.

Dowdy Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing for rainbow trout remains quite good, with fishermen taking some well-conditioned, larger-than-average trout on spinners, micro jigs and fly-bubble outfits.

Estes Lake -- The lake has a good population of rainbow trout. With the summer season upon us, look for rising fish during the early- and late-in-the-day insect hatches. Fly fishermen might try Woolly Buggers for cruising fish, and beetles, ants and midges if surface activity is evident. Look for rings on the water and try to make casts near those areas. For spin-fishing, try flashy lures and baits, especially salmon eggs, at the inlet. Fishing around the lake also can be good with a worm or Power Bait.

Flatiron Reservoir -- Although trout fishing is slowing down, fishermen have still been successful. Anglers report that the day use area near the inlet is the most productive. Flatiron recently was stocked with stocker-sized and larger trout. Anglers should try Power Bait, salmon eggs, small Kastmasters and Dardevles.

Hohnholz Lakes -- Fishing on Lake No. 2 and No. 3 remains fair to good, although warming temperatures have been sending trout deeper. No. 2 has been fair for pan-sized rainbow trout. Lake No. 3 has been good for brown and cutthroat trout on various nymphs including Callibaetis and damselflies, midges and streamers, as well as Kastmasters and other spinning lures. Lake No. 3 is the largest and has the largest trout. Fishing on No. 3 is by artificial flies and lures only. Standard regulations apply to the other lakes.

Horsetooth Reservoir -- The water temperature has warmed into the 70s and clarity has been good except during the heavy boat traffic on weekends. Fishermen are reporting fairly good success with mostly small smallmouth bass and walleyes on various jigs and crankbaits. The walleyes are in deeper water during the day, coming up to the shallows at night. Bass are hanging around rocks and other structure and feeding on crayfish. All walleyes must be at least 18 inches long, but only one can exceed 21 inches. Smallmouth bass must be at least 12 inches. All boat ramps are open and have docks in place.

Jackson Reservoir -- Fishing is good for catfish, and fair for trout, wipers, walleyes and other species. Warm water temperatures have driven the fish deep; shoreline fishing, therefore, has greatly decreased. However, fishing is picking up in the outlet and along the north shore. A 15-pound, 32-inch channel catfish recently was caught in the evening on worms. The water temperature is in the mid-80s. The water level is maintaining. Approximately three feet remain at the end of the concrete of the boat ramp. Large boats (16 feet and over) are having difficulty launching. Also, watch for the chain at the end of the boat ramp and other unmarked hazards as water continues to drop. Call the Park at (970)645-2551 for up-to-date conditions.

Joe Wright Reservoir -- The level is good. Fishing has picked up and anglers have been catching lots of grayling, especially from belly boats. Renegade patterns have been effective. Anglers also have been having success with Rooster Tails and with Elk-Hair-Caddis and Pistol Pete flies. The creek remains closed to fishing until the end of July. The creek is coming down and is easier to cross. Grayling are the primary species although rainbow and cuttbow trout can be caught, as well. The lake has a special regulation that only artificial flies and lures may be used (no bait fishing). The daily bag and possession limit is two trout.

Jumbo Reservoir -- Jumbo Reservoir water is slowly dropping. A few trout are being caught early in the morning or in the evening, but other species are slow. A habitat stamp is required to enter Jumbo and the Red Lion Annex.

Laramie River at Hohnholz SWA -- The river has come up a little from rain and temperatures have cooled slightly. Pale-morning-dun mayflies, caddis, yellow stoneflies and a few green drakes remain the primary insects. The Laramie has a good population of brown trout, and the wildlife area provides virtually the only public access to the river. Fishermen may use only artificial flies and lures, and the bag and possession limit is two trout.

Lon Hagler Reservoir -- Fishing for catfish in the evenings and a few crappie has been fair to good. Chicken liver and prepared baits have been effective for the catfish. Anglers still are getting a few bass topwater in the late afternoons, but that action has slowed.

Lonetree Reservoir -- The water level has been dropping. The wiper bite has provided most of the recent action. Early mornings and evenings typically are the best times. The minimum size for walleyes is 15 inches, and fishermen may take only one walleye longer than 21 inches per day.

Long Draw Reservoir -- The road is open and the reservoir has been fishing fairly well.

Lost Lake (at Chambers) -- Fishing is fair with gold or silver spinning lures or Power Bait. The south end of the lake is thick with vegetation.

North Sterling Reservoir -- The outlet is running and all boat ramps are still in use. The surface water temperature is about 77 degrees. Anglers in boats are doing well by slowly trolling worm rigs near Darby Point and in Darby Arm. They are catching several species with this technique, but mostly wipers. Catfish fishermen are doing well in the flats on cut bait in the evenings and at night. Several of the fish have been over 10 pounds. The best cut baits are shad or creek chubs. Shore anglers still are catching some wipers in the south-boat-ramp and north-dam areas on green mussels or shrimp. Anglers will have to work through the small wipers to get to the keeper-size fish.

Parvin Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing remains consistently good, with anglers taking some larger-than-average trout. Silver spinners, Kastmasters and Woolly Buggers have been especially effective. Fishermen may use only artificial flies and lures, and the daily and possession limit is two trout. Boating is prohibited except for float tubes used for fishing. A habitat stamp is required to use the state wildlife area.

Pinewood Reservoir -- Trout fishing remains slow. Determined anglers should try salmon eggs and different colors of Power Bait. Some tiger muskies have been evident.

Poudre River -- On Monday, the flow at the canyon mouth was 384 cfs, after a brief spike from last week's rain. Pale-morning duns, red quills and caddis remain the primary hatches. Mayfly activity usually begins around 8:30 a.m. in the lower river and 10:30 a.m. in the upper. The best caddis hatches occur about dinner time. Plenty of terrestrials also are evident, especially below the narrows. Dry flies are effective in the mornings and evenings; nymphs and hopper-dropper combinations are the way to go during midday.

Prewitt Reservoir -- The reservoir water level is dropping quickly. The boat dock is out of the water, and the ramp is out of the water and not usable for large boats. Small boats can be carried out. Fishing is poor for all species. A habitat stamp is required to enter Prewitt Reservoir.

Rocky Mountain National Park -- Great fishing has arrived. Concentrate your efforts on pockets, runs, and the seams along the edge of the river. Green and gray drakes have appeared and offer great fishing on cloudy, warm days. Try No. 12-14 Colorado Drakes, Para Adams or Para-Wulffs for the drakes. Caddis activity has been very good. A No. 16-18 Elk-Hair has been productive. Dry-and-dropper rigs are the way to go; a No. 14-16 Stimulator with a No. 14 golden stonefly nymph has been good. Other nymphs to try include, No. 16-18 bead-head Pheasant Tails, No. 16 Hotwire Caddis and No. 12-18 Copper Johns. Greenback cutthroats have been striking on beetles and ants over the past two weeks.

St. Vrain River -- The water on the St. Vrain have finally come down and fishing is good. Fishing the pockets and runs with a dry-and-dropper rig is the way to go on the Vrain now. Pale-morning-dun mayflies and caddis are most prevalent. Try No. 16-18 Elk-Hair-Caddis, and for the PMDS, a No. 18-20 Parachute PMD, Thorax or Hatchmaster. Nymphs are the most consistent. No. 16-18 bead-head Pheasant Tails, No. 16 Hotwire Caddis and Glo-Bubble Caddis, and No. 12-14 golden stonefly nymphs will work best. Also, bronze soft-hackles, No.16-18, have produced some nice fish. Use proper split shot to get the bottom fly into the feeding lanes. Spin-fishers will have to look for deeper areas to get the action they need to land a few fish.

Union Reservoir (Calkins) -- Fishermen have been taking channel catfish up to 6 pounds from shore on worms, minnows and stink baits. Fishing for wipers from shore has been slow, with some 15- to 19-inchers caught by trolling with small Rapalas and crawler harnesses. Fishing for trout has been slow, with early morning the best time. Fly fishing for carp in shallow water has been very good. The water level is up to 27 feet.

West Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing for catchable-sized rainbow trout has been fair to good.