Post by Whiskers on Apr 12, 2007 20:27:19 GMT -6
COLORADO FISHING
Report
April 4, 2007
April is a time of transition for Colorado anglers. While the signs of spring are unmistakable, the change of seasons inevitable, winter still can send some not so subtle reminders that it's not quite ready to relinquish its grip.
While lowland lakes and ponds have open water, much of the high country remains locked away in ice and snow. In the foothills and middle elevations, the guessing game goes on. Ice? Open water? A little of both? Well, yes, yes and yes.
Many popular lakes and reservoirs are opening up. Some still are ice-covered, some have open water. Most have some combination of open water and ice, and conditions are changing daily.
A handful of high-elevation reservoirs still have adequate ice to entertain die-hard ice fishermen, but most anglers are looking to open water and the hot fishing that often comes right at ice-out.
Likely destinations include the North Park lakes, where an early ice-out is expected. While Lake John still had unsafe ice early in the week, open water had appeared along the edges of all the Delaney Butte lakes. East Delaney might even be ice-free by the end of the week.
In Middle Park, Wolford Mountain Reservoir had open water near the dam and Williams Fork was beginning to open up.
In South Park, Elevenmile Reservoir was at least half open water, but the $64,000 question was when Spinney Mountain Reservoir will open for the season. All the ice must be gone before the gates are unlocked. According to the best guess from Colorado State Parks, that won't happen for at least a week, maybe two. Stay tuned.
On the Western Slope, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Navajo, Ridgway and Vega are free of ice, a bit of open water was evident at Stagecoach, but Steamboat and Pearl still were ice-bound.
Even the open water can be a premature sign of spring, however, especially for anglers after warm-water fish. Even a minor change in temperature can be a setback. While walleyes at Horsetooth Reservoir may be showing signs of life one day, arrival of a minor cold front can bring things to a screeching halt.
Stream fishermen also play a seasonal roulette. The major spring runoff hasn't truly begun, but melting snow from lower elevations can discolor some rivers. Most remain clear, however, and prerunoff fishing can be quite good. Midges are active on many streams and a warm, cloudy day can bring a hatch of blue-wing-olive mayflies. Colder days can slow things down again. But when the runoff starts .
Stocking Under Way
With the arrival spring, the Colorado Division of Wildlife's hatchery trucks are rolling. Catchable-sized trout have been stocked in low-elevation waters including many urban ponds. Periodic stocking in low-elevation waters will continue through late spring, when many of the lakes become too warm for trout.
As the ice recedes, higher-elevation waters will be stocked. Stocking of designated waters will continue through the summer.
In addition to catchable trout, the DOW also stocks thousands of smaller trout on a put-to-grow basis in suitable waters. Many Alpine lakes are stocked from the air with newly hatched cutthroat trout, and an extensive warm-water program places walleye fry and other species in lowland waters.
Regulations Changes
The Colorado Wildlife Commission recently approved some changes to the fishing regulations that are not included in the 2007 fishing brochure. They go into effect May 1.
On the lower Blue River, catch-and-release provisions were enacted from Green Mountain Dam to the Colorado River. On the upper Blue and its Swan River tributary, long-standing closures in the fall to protect spawning brown trout from Dillon Reservoir have been removed.
On the lower Gunnison River, through the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge, a slot limit protecting brown trout has been dropped. Flies-and-lures restrictions have been extended on the Gunnison from the North Fork confluence to Austin. Anglers there also have to release all rainbow trout.
Flies-and-lures and catch-and-release provisions were extended to the Poudre River through Gateway Park downstream to the North Fork confluence.
Quality fishing regulations were enacted for Johnstown Reservoir. A 15-inch minimum-size provision applies to walleye/saugeyes and bass, and a 10-inch minimum to crappie.
Artificial flies-and-lures fishing with a catch-and-release provision for bass were approved for the Bald Eagle Pond in St. Vrain State Park.
Antero Reservoir Status
The reservoir remains closed until further notice. In late February it was 86 percent full and likely will fill this summer. Some brown, rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout and fingerling splake were stocked last summer in hopes that they would survive the winter. If that happened, additional fish will be stocked and an opening date will be announced. If winter losses were significant, the reservoir may not open in 2007.
Report
April 4, 2007
April is a time of transition for Colorado anglers. While the signs of spring are unmistakable, the change of seasons inevitable, winter still can send some not so subtle reminders that it's not quite ready to relinquish its grip.
While lowland lakes and ponds have open water, much of the high country remains locked away in ice and snow. In the foothills and middle elevations, the guessing game goes on. Ice? Open water? A little of both? Well, yes, yes and yes.
Many popular lakes and reservoirs are opening up. Some still are ice-covered, some have open water. Most have some combination of open water and ice, and conditions are changing daily.
A handful of high-elevation reservoirs still have adequate ice to entertain die-hard ice fishermen, but most anglers are looking to open water and the hot fishing that often comes right at ice-out.
Likely destinations include the North Park lakes, where an early ice-out is expected. While Lake John still had unsafe ice early in the week, open water had appeared along the edges of all the Delaney Butte lakes. East Delaney might even be ice-free by the end of the week.
In Middle Park, Wolford Mountain Reservoir had open water near the dam and Williams Fork was beginning to open up.
In South Park, Elevenmile Reservoir was at least half open water, but the $64,000 question was when Spinney Mountain Reservoir will open for the season. All the ice must be gone before the gates are unlocked. According to the best guess from Colorado State Parks, that won't happen for at least a week, maybe two. Stay tuned.
On the Western Slope, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Navajo, Ridgway and Vega are free of ice, a bit of open water was evident at Stagecoach, but Steamboat and Pearl still were ice-bound.
Even the open water can be a premature sign of spring, however, especially for anglers after warm-water fish. Even a minor change in temperature can be a setback. While walleyes at Horsetooth Reservoir may be showing signs of life one day, arrival of a minor cold front can bring things to a screeching halt.
Stream fishermen also play a seasonal roulette. The major spring runoff hasn't truly begun, but melting snow from lower elevations can discolor some rivers. Most remain clear, however, and prerunoff fishing can be quite good. Midges are active on many streams and a warm, cloudy day can bring a hatch of blue-wing-olive mayflies. Colder days can slow things down again. But when the runoff starts .
Stocking Under Way
With the arrival spring, the Colorado Division of Wildlife's hatchery trucks are rolling. Catchable-sized trout have been stocked in low-elevation waters including many urban ponds. Periodic stocking in low-elevation waters will continue through late spring, when many of the lakes become too warm for trout.
As the ice recedes, higher-elevation waters will be stocked. Stocking of designated waters will continue through the summer.
In addition to catchable trout, the DOW also stocks thousands of smaller trout on a put-to-grow basis in suitable waters. Many Alpine lakes are stocked from the air with newly hatched cutthroat trout, and an extensive warm-water program places walleye fry and other species in lowland waters.
Regulations Changes
The Colorado Wildlife Commission recently approved some changes to the fishing regulations that are not included in the 2007 fishing brochure. They go into effect May 1.
On the lower Blue River, catch-and-release provisions were enacted from Green Mountain Dam to the Colorado River. On the upper Blue and its Swan River tributary, long-standing closures in the fall to protect spawning brown trout from Dillon Reservoir have been removed.
On the lower Gunnison River, through the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge, a slot limit protecting brown trout has been dropped. Flies-and-lures restrictions have been extended on the Gunnison from the North Fork confluence to Austin. Anglers there also have to release all rainbow trout.
Flies-and-lures and catch-and-release provisions were extended to the Poudre River through Gateway Park downstream to the North Fork confluence.
Quality fishing regulations were enacted for Johnstown Reservoir. A 15-inch minimum-size provision applies to walleye/saugeyes and bass, and a 10-inch minimum to crappie.
Artificial flies-and-lures fishing with a catch-and-release provision for bass were approved for the Bald Eagle Pond in St. Vrain State Park.
Antero Reservoir Status
The reservoir remains closed until further notice. In late February it was 86 percent full and likely will fill this summer. Some brown, rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout and fingerling splake were stocked last summer in hopes that they would survive the winter. If that happened, additional fish will be stocked and an opening date will be announced. If winter losses were significant, the reservoir may not open in 2007.