Northeast Region

Report provided with permission of the
Colorado Division of Wildlife

October 21, 2008

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

Bellaire Lake -- Fishing for catchable-sized rainbow trout has been fair to good on a variety of baits and lures.

Big Thompson River -- Flows below Lake Estes continue to fluctuate. On Tuesday, the volume was 174 cfs, down from last week. The ups and downs of flow have led to inconsistent fishing success. Blue-wing-olive mayflies, caddis and still a few terrestrials have been the most prevalent insects. Fishing a dry-and-dropper setup still may 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; and Thorax PMDs, No. 16-20. For caddis try No. 16-18 Elk-Hair-Caddis. For terrestrials No. 14-16 beetles or No. 16-18 ants are good choices for dries. Fishing small streamers is a good option, as well.

Boyd Lake -- Water has been flowing at the marina inlet and is likely to continue for a few weeks. The surface temperature is about 62 degrees but slowly dropping. Fishing for white bass has been fair, with late afternoon the best time. The reservoir recently was stocked with rainbow trout, which have provided much of the catch. Walleye action has been slow. Fishing for catfish late in the day remains fairly good. 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 -- The water level has been dropping. Fishing for mostly small walleyes has been fair to good, especially in late afternoon. The saddle area is the best place to catch walleyes from shore. Anglers below the North Pines campground have also reported success. Spoons and worms have been the most successful. Anglers have been catching recently stocked pan-sized trout, and some 2 1/2-pounders are still in there. Kokanee salmon snagging is permitted through Dec. 31 on Dam 1 only. Due to Homeland Security restrictions, this may be done only from sunrise to sunset. A few salmon had been taken as of Oct. 17.

Chambers Lake -- The water level is low and the boat ramp is not operative. Fishing has been slow, and few fishermen have been on the water. Gold or silver spinners, Power Bait and night crawlers still seem to be the most effective.

Douglas Reservoir -- The water level remains good and the boat ramp still is usable. Fishing has been slow. Trout have provided much of the catch, with the area between the boat ramp and dam the most productive. The reservoir also has wipers, bass, crappie, walleyes and carp.

Dowdy Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing for decent-sized rainbow trout has been fairly good. Power Bait and a variety of spinners have been the most productive. Additional rainbows recently were stocked.

Estes Lake -- Fishing for pan-sized rainbow trout has been fair. 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 first thing in the morning and in the evenings, 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 -- Fishing for mostly catchable-sized trout remains fairly good. Anglers report that the day use area near the inlet is the most productive. Flatiron has been stocked this fall with stocker-sized and larger trout. Anglers should try Power Bait, salmon eggs, small Kastmasters and Dardevles.

Hohnholz Lakes -- Fishing on Lakes No. 2 and No. 3 has been fairly good, with anglers reporting some good recent action for 17- to 19-inch brown trout on hardware at No. 3. No. 2 offers pan-sized rainbow trout, which are taken on the standard assortment of baits and lures. Lake No. 3 is the largest and has the largest trout. Kastmasters, Rapalas, Rooster Tail spinners, streamer flies and nymphs usually produce their share of browns and cutthroats. Fishing on No. 3 is by artificial flies and lures only. Standard regulations apply to the other lakes.

Horsetooth Reservoir -- The water level has started dropping more rapidly. The current water elevation is 5,383 feet above sea level, with a water temperature of 58 degrees. Fishermen still are enjoying fairly good success with the mostly smaller smallmouth bass and walleyes. Various jigs and crankbaits have been taking the fish. The larger smallmouth bass seem to be suspended in deeper water. The walleyes seem to be 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 and small baitfish. With the water temperature dropping, trout activity should increase soon. All walleyes must be at least 18 inches long, but only one can exceed 21 inches. Smallmouth bass must be at least 12 inches.

Jackson Reservoir -- Fishing for trout and carp at the dam remains good. Trout are being caught on Power Bait, salmon eggs and worms, and carp with worms or crawdads. Fishing for other species is slow. The north shore is closed to fishing because of the hunting seasons. The water level has dropped and the boat ramp is out of the water. Hand-carry, hand-launch boating is permitted. Driving on the beach is not allowed. Additionally, all recreational boaters are restricted to operating south of the buoy line. Only hunters with DOW reservations are permitted north of the buoy line. . The north shore is closed to fishing through the duck-hunting seasons. Call the park at (970)645-2551 for up-to-date conditions.

Joe Wright Reservoir -- The level has dropped but remains reasonably good. Though fishing success has slowed with dropping temperatures, at last report ice had not yet appeared. 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 -- The reservoir is very low and will not begin storing additional water until No. 1. Shoreline fishermen have been taking channel catfish up to 18 inches and bullheads on worms. The lake is closed to boating through Feb. 15 for the waterfowl hunting seasons. Shoreline fishing still is permitted. A habitat stamp is required to enter Jumbo and the Red Lion Annex.

Lon Hagler Reservoir -- The water level has come up and the reservoir is essentially full. Fishing for catchable-sized trout has been the primary draw of late, but some eating-sized catfish still can be taken late in the day. Chicken liver and prepared baits have been the most effective for the catfish. With the high water, some fairly good fishing for crappie is a possibility.

Lonetree Reservoir -- With the ongoing duck-hunting season, recent fishing pressure has been very light. Fishermen have been taking a few walleyes and an occasional wiper. The minimum size for walleyes is 15 inches, and fishermen may take only one walleye longer than 21 inches per day.

North Sterling Reservoir -- The outlet is still running, but the inlet is on again. The Elks Boat Ramp is dry but the south ramp is still in use, with about 12 feet of water on the ramp. The surface water temperature is about 52 degrees. Catfish fishermen are doing well in the flats on cut bait. The best cut baits are shad or creek chubs. Shore anglers still are catching some wipers on green mussels in the south-boat-ramp and north-dam areas.

Parvin Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing for some nice-sized rainbow trout and a few splake has been fair to good. 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 has been fair. Try salmon eggs and different colors of Power Bait. A few tiger muskies have been evident, but they are difficult to catch.

Poudre River -- Tuesday's flow at the canyon mouth was 53.6 cfs, down a little from last week. The river is in its fall mode and fishing fairly well. The lower river, from Gateway up to Picnic Rock, is somewhat warmer and tends to be a little better. No. 18 dark-gray caddis and blue-wing-olive mayflies still are the main hatches, though midges also are present and trout are rising to them in the morning. A No. 22 Biot midge has been as effective as anything. A handful of hoppers still might be present, and hopper-dropper rigs still can be effective. Expect good fishing to continue through October.

Prewitt Reservoir -- Fishing for all species has been slow. The reservoir is closed to all but small, hand-propelled boats used for waterfowl hunting through Feb. 15. A habitat stamp is required to enter Prewitt Reservoir.

Simpson Ponds -- Fishing for channel catfish late in the day has been fairly good. Chicken livers have worked as well as anything. Anglers also have been getting some bass on spinnerbaits and small crankbaits.

Union Reservoir (Calkins) -- Wipers still are coming in close to shore and chasing shad, though the activity has slowed a bit. Mussels and worms have been working best. Trolling with small Rapalas or Mister Twisters also is producing wipers. Most are 15-19 inches, with a few over 20 inches. The largest exceed 25 inches and weigh more than eight pounds. Fishermen are still taking a few channel catfish up to six pounds from shore on worms, minnows and stink baits. Current park hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The reservoir is closed to camping.

Wellington Reservoir #4 -- Fishing for catfish on a variety of prepared baits has been quite good. Most are fairly good-sized. A 22-pounder recently was taken.

West Lake (Red Feather) -- Fishing for catchable-sized rainbow trout has been fair to good. Fishermen have been successful with Power Bait, worms and Kastmasters. The water level is good.