Conditions Report - Statewide

Rivers and Creeks

The recent rains have increased flows on the streams throughout the state. This extra moisture will surely get the substrate stirred up which can flush some of the larger insects and worms into the flow and the trout will surely be feeding heavily. This means anglers must use a bit larger and flashier presentations when fishing these conditions. The spawn beds from the Rainbows may still be active, so be cautious of redds when wading along the rivers. There are still waters that are iced over at higher elevations and shaded portions of canyons, so anglers can look to tailwaters--the waters below dams or other structures that regulates water flow. The regulated water flow keeps the spots from freezing over and provides warmth for the cold-blooded trout. Even with the warmer conditions of these waters, the fish will still behave sluggishly. Fish diets in the early spring are made up primarily of midges and an assortment of small blue-winged olive nymphs and are occasionally supplemented by larger mayflies, annelids, trout eggs, stoneflies, and even caddis larva. Spring fishing typically consists of a lot of nymph fishing since the trout are not overly active due to the cold water temperatures, so try using stonefly nymphs and imitation midges. Remember that the hatches are becoming more frequent in the spring, so keep an eye for surface activity and do not hesitate to switch to a dry fly presentation, especially during the warmest parts of the day. It is also important to be mindful of your split shot usage. With the fish being sluggish, they aren’t going to divert too much energy for food, so making sure those flies drift directly in their path is important. Be sure not to use too much split shot though because the last thing you’ll want to do is to have to retrieve a snag in those cold waters.
Colorado Fishing Atlas

Conditions Report - Northeast Colorado

Eleven Mile State Park

As of 5/3/2018 the trout fishing has been good with various lures both from shore and boats. Anglers are also reporting some success with Kokanee Salmon fishing deeper. There have also been a few pike reported in the shallower sections of the reservoir.
Eleven Mile State Park

Jackson Reservoir

This 2,967 acre reservoir is located approximately 32 miles east of Greeley and 10 miles north of Wiggins. As of 5/2/2018 lake level is full. Surface water temperature is approximately 50 degrees. We are open to boating. Fishing has been fair to good for crappie, wiper and walleye. The carp are starting to become active in the shallows as they begin to spawn. For up-to-date fishing and ice conditions contact the park directly at 970-645-2551.
Jackson Reservoir

Boyd Lake

Boyd Lake is open to boating, Aquatic Nuisance Species Inspection hours for the month of April are 7:00 am-7:00 pm daily. As of 5/2/2018 water temperatures are in the low 50’s fishing has been good for trout using traditional baits all over the lake. White Bass fishing has been poor with only a few being caught. Bass fishing is getting better, jerkbaits for Smallmouth and lipless crankbaits or spinnerbaits for Largemouth. The walleye fishing has been fair with some reports of walleye being caught on blade baits, anglers should expect to work for them but the fishing is expected to get better in the coming weeks. Reminder - No fishing from marina slips or docks (next to is okay but can't use them in any way. PLEASE NOTE: Any live fish collected for use as bait may only be used in the same body of water from which they were collected. All live bait/fish from a commercial source and transported by anglers must at all times be accompanied by a receipt for the source. See the Colorado Fishing Regulations for further clarification and information.
Boyd Lake

Clear Creek

As of 5/4/2018 due to recent rain flows have increased to 157 CFS at Golden with visibility beginning to be affected by increasing flows. Fishing has been fair for browns, rainbows, and cutthroats using Stimulators, Griffith’s Gnat, Midges, Pheasant Tails, and Prince Nymphs in black or dark colors. As we approach summer dry flies have begun to produce fish, Blue Wing Olive patterns have been the most productive.
Clear Creek

North Sterling

As of 4/21/2018, Water temperature is about 48 with some warmer temps in the shallow coves. Fishing is fair for all species. The Reservoir is OPEN to BOATING. The Inlet is ON and the Outlet is OFF. Only a small number of fishermen are getting out each day so reports are sporadic. 
North Sterling

Horsetooth Reservoir

As of 5/4/2018 the Inlet Bay and South Bay ramps are open to boating 6:00 am- 10:00 pm seven days a week. With water temperatures nearing 50 degrees fishing for walleyes and smallmouth bass has been getting better, expect to find the smallmouth along rock faces with jerk baits being a good bait. Anglers have reported catching both walleye and smallmouth using the same presentations.
Horsetooth Reservoir

Spinney Mountain Reservoir

As of 5/3/2018, water temperature is in the mid 40’s and visibility is around 5 feet into the water. We are hearing that quite a few fish are being caught. The fly fisherman are reporting increasing success using scud patterns along the weeds throughout the lake. The pike have been caught using larger jerk baits trolled slowly. We hope to get more information as we get more of our staff on duty.
Spinney Mountain State Park

Antero Reservoir

This 2200 acre impoundment is located north of US Highway 24 between Antero Junction and the town of Hartsel. Antero Reservoir is open to the public. Fishing has been slow, but patient anglers have been catching fish 16 inches plus Cutbows and Rainbows using in-line spinners and wooly buggers.
Antero Reservoir

Saint Vrain State Park

There are 11 fishable ponds at St. Vrain that are stocked on a regular basis. Bald Eagle Pond is artificial flies and lures only. Bald Eagle Pond and Blue Heron Reservoir are trophy bass fisheries: all bass caught on these 2 ponds must be immediately returned to the water! Only 1 catfish in your standard bag and possession limit can exceed 20 inches on Blue Heron Reservoir. Blue Heron has been producing some good sized Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Saugeye on jigs and lures. Trout fishing is very productive in spring and fall depending on stocking. Stocked trout are only 8-10 inches in length and we do not recommend keeping them until they have matured and are of a healthy size: around 12-24 inches. Overfishing these waters results in smaller, less productive populations.
St. Vrain

Barr Lake State park

As of 4/21/2018 Trout are becoming more active near the shore, with some anglers catching their bag limit. Walleye action is holding steady, but should be increasing with rising water temps. Carp have also been reported congregating in groups in the shallows, so spawning time is near!
Barr Lake

Conditions Report - Southeast Colorado

Arkansas River

May 3rd - Upper River: The river up in Hayden Meadows is low, clear, and fairly cold. A release of 250 cfs from Twin Lakes is about doubling the flows from Lake Creek downstream. This additional water also helps to moderate the daily water temperature swings. After yesterdays increase in the Twin Lakes release, the water below the Lake Creek confluence is slightly off-color as the new flows settle in. The upper river is currently seeing strong blue winged olive hatches n the afternoons, and the week's cloudy forecast could make for some stellar dry fly fishing. The mayflies are in the #16-18 range. While we generally encourage folks to fish further downstream this time of year, the upper river definitely provides some excellent SOLITUDE. And, with the longer days and warmer nights, we are seeing an uptick in bug/fish activity, including plenty of midges and some strong blue wing olive hatches as far upstream as Granite. Focus on the deeper, slower water in the mornings with a stonefly and a midge, and hope for hatches in the afternoon! Fish will respond to stonefly nymphs, caddis larva, and midges, with blue winged olive patterns turning on in the afternoons. Expect subtle takes! May 3rd- Middle River: The slight bump in the release from Twin Lakes paired with a couple active ditches above Salida are discoloring the river a little, but conditions are still very fishable today. Flows seem to have levelled out and clarity will return to the river the remainder of the week. Fish are moving towards the edges and pockets to escape the increasing flow, and toda'ys trips reporting in the afternoon found plenty of fish nymphing in the morning, and looking up in the afternoon. Through we've primarily encountered great midge and blue winged olive hatches north of Salida, caddis are now beginning to hatch above town. One report had a great emergence at Hecla Junction over the weekend. Caddis larva and pupa in the morning and mid-day are productive, and a caddis/baetis combo in the afternoon should yield good results. The potential afternoon cloud cover this week could make for some great blue wing hatches! May 3rd - Below Salida: The river looks excellent around Salida this morning. Fish are foraging heavily throughout the day, eating stonefly nymphs, caddis and baetis patterns subsurface in the morning, with afternoon activity shifting more to surface caddis and suspended pupa on sunny days, and blue winged olives on cloudy days. Flows have leveled out, and the clarity of the river is far better than the past couple of days. Fish are definitely moving towards the edges and shallows where they are protected from the current. Don't ignore the edges! Today's potential cloud cover this week could make for some blue winged olive hatches this afternoon, whereas sunny days we will likely see caddis. Be prepared for anything in the lower canyon. Currently, we are seeing strong morning midge activity, blue wing olive mayfly nymphal drifts throughout the afternoon, and several varieties/sizes of adult caddis. We also are seeing significant cranefly activity, and at times this week fish have preferred them to the caddis. A warm winter and low flows since January have generated optimal feeding conditions for our brown trout population and most of the fish are in excellent condition. This hatch will continue to be experienced further upstream as the water warms. 
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

Trinidad Reservoir

The lake is at 1010 surface acres with a surface elevation of 6205.79 feet. Shore anglers are catching trout on homemade dough bait and PowerBait (green color) all along south shore and Reilly Canyon. Some trout have also been caught using smaller spoons or in-line spinners. No reports of walleye as of 04/24/2018. Boating is open for the season. Please be advised that all boats must be inspected prior to launching.
Trinidad Reservoir

Lake Pueblo

As of 4/30/2018 Things are heating up on the big desert reservoir. Surface temperature is around 55-60 degrees at various locations on the lake. Walleye are all the talk at this time of year. Fishermen are having success using a variety of methods. Jerkbaits and crankbaits will yield success, as well as jigs. Bass are also starting to show their faces after their winter slumber. Some bass are being caught on jerkbaits and crankbaits as well as plastics. Both boat ramps are open at this time. Summer hours are in effect, ramps open at 5 AM and close at 11 PM. Flows on the tailwater below the dam have increased, as winter water storage has ended. The current flow is 382 cfs. Fishing has been good on the tailwater for trout. Even with the increase in release, flows are still relatively low, and the river is still manageable for wading. Anglers are reporting success on blue wing olive and midge patterns. 
Lake Pueblo

Lathrop

As of 4/24/2018 anglers have reported success with smallmouth bass recently. Anglers have reported some success catching catfish using worms. The surface temperature of Horseshoe Lake is about 50 degrees. Visitors have reported less success in Horseshoe, but some smaller trout are being caught. Variations of PowerBait including rainbow and cheese styles have been used to catch fish recently. 
Lathrop

Conditions Report - Northwest Colorado

Delaney Butte Lakes

As of 4/30/2018 all the Delaney’s are open water. The roads to the lakes are accessible but can be muddy. The boat ramp areas of both North and South Delaney are slick and muddy. Several fishermen are reporting good fishing on all the Delaney’s with flies. There have been reports of some really nice trout being caught.
Delaney Butte Lakes SWA

Highline Lake/Mack Mesa Lake

Highline Lake was stocked with rainbow trout in early February as well as early and mid-March so fishing should be good. Mesa was also stocked with rainbow trout in early February and early and mid-March so fishing should be good. Highline and Mack Mesa were both stocked with 800 12 inch trout and another 1,000 in early March. Highline Lake and Mack Mesa are both open for boating. Please stop at the Visitor Center at the East Entrance or call 970-858-7208 to request an ANS inspection before launching. Anglers may contact Highline State Park for updates on fishing conditions. 
Highline Lake/Mack Mesa Lake

Harvey Gap Reservoir

As of 5/2/2018, perch of all sizes along with some pike and trout are reported being caught. Anglers are reporting that worms are working well for the perch and trout with the pike being caught on lures. The water level in Harvey Gap was very low for much of the fall of 2017 as a result of a reservoir drawdown conducted by Silt Water Conservancy District to inspect the reservoir’s outlet. During this period of low water level, CPW put a public fish salvage regulation on the lake in which bag and possession limits were removed for all fish species. This public fish salvage is no longer active as it was removed once the reservoir started to refill. Conversations with anglers and a survey conducted by CPW in the fall immediately prior to the lake beginning to refill showed that the same species were present in the reservoir following the drawdown compared to prior to the drawdown (i.e. tiger muskie, rainbow trout, black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish, northern pike, and smallmouth bass). In addition to stocking tiger muskie, rainbow trout, and channel catfish, CPW will be stocking increased numbers of bluegill and black crappie in 2018 to help the fishery recover from the drawdown more rapidly. Special fishing regulations at Harvey Gap Reservoir include a minimum size of 15 inches for largemouth bass and a bag and possession limit of 2 for channel catfish. Standard bag and possession limits apply for all other species. Bag and possession limits for smallmouth bass and northern Pike are unlimited. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN DISTINGUISH TIGER MUSKIE FROM NORTHERN PIKE. ALL TIGER MUSKIE LESS THAN 36 INCHES MUST BE RELEASED ALIVE. For more information regarding tiger muskie, please contact CPW Area Aquatic Biologist Ben Felt at benjamin.felt@state.co.us. Anglers may contact Harvey Gap/Rifle Gap State Park, Phone: 970-625-1607 for updates on fishing conditions.
Harvey Gap Reservoir

Rifle Gap Reservoir

As of 5/2/2018 Pike and trout are being caught throughout the lake. A few bass and walleye are also being caught near the dam. Special fishing regulations at Rifle Gap Reservoir include a bag and possession limit of 1 walleye 18 inches or greater; bag and possession limit for yellow perch is 20.
Rifle Gap Reservoir

Vega

As of 4/30/2018, shore fishing is excellent at this time. PowerBait and spinners have been reported as the most successful bait at this time. The Island boat ramp will open at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1st. Don't forget to stop at the entrance and have your boat inspected prior to launching. The ANS inspection station will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 7 days a week, being May 1st.
Vega

James M. Robb

As of 4/22/2018 all lakes are free of ice and offer ample shoreline fishing opportunities. Old Orchard, Roan’s Pond, and Corn Lake have all been recently stocked. Anglers have reported success on a variety of different baits and flies. Send in a fishing report and let us know what you are finding success with! 
James M. Robb

Lake John

As of 4/30/2018 lots of action and fish of all sizes being caught. The most common size we heard was 15-17 inches but even those catching 12-13 inchers said they were good and fat! A total mix of bait and lures were doing well this past weekend. Pink, red & rainbow PowerBait, anything with garlic was doing great, even lures dipped in garlic scent, gold/red Kastmasters and black leech flies. These are some of the reports throughout the weekend that people were successful on. Both shore and boat fisherman are doing well.
Lake John

Conditions Report - Metro Denver Area

Aurora Reservoir

This 762-acre impoundment is located off of E. Quincy Avenue, two miles east of E-470. As of 4/30/2018 Water temp is 50 degrees. Trout fishing from shore has started to pick up. Reports of trout being caught using PowerBait and crawlers from the dam and open areas along the shoreline. Walleye action from shore is slow. Some reports from boaters catching walleye using jigs and jerk baits. A few reports of smallmouth bass being caught using jigs. Restricted to electric motors only. For more information call 303-326-8425. Park hours May 5:30am-9:00pm.
Aurora Reservoir

Cherry Creek

This 881-acre impoundment is located in Cherry Creek State Park, in Aurora. There are two entrances to the park, the east entrance off S. Dayton St. and the west entrance off S. Parker Rd. As of 5/3/2018 walleye fishing is continuing to be good throughout the day in the deeper portions of the lake using various crankbaits trolled, some walleye are also being caught on shallower structure. Fishing for trout has been productive both from shore or boat using many different techniques.
Cherry Creek Reservoir

Quincy Reservoir

As of 4/30/2018 Water temp is 54 degrees. Bass fishing is slow to fair with an occasional good report and is starting to pick up. Reports of bass being seen in shallow water. Reports from boaters and shore anglers using jigs, jerk baits and crawdad soft plastics fished slowly. Trout fishing is fair to good using spoons and spinners and flies. Fly fishermen have been reporting success in the evening. Park Hours for May 5:30am-9:00pm. Restricted to artificial flies and lures only. Electric motors only and hand launched watercraft only-trailers and vehicles prohibited in the water. For more information call 303-326-8424. 
Quincy Reservoir

Chatfield Reservoir

This 1,356 impoundment is located in Chatfield State Park, in Littleton. There are two entrances to the park the west entrance is on S. Wadsworth Blvd, one mile south of C-470 and the east entrance is off of Titan Rd. Both the North and South Boat Ramps are now open. As of 5/2/2018 water temperature is 56 degrees and increasing. Walleye fishing has been getting better, the low light periods of the day are still producing the best. Some fisherman are reporting decent success catching walleyes on shallow structure using jigs. Trout have been caught using a variety of baits from shore. Smallmouth Bass have also been active along rocky shores in the lake with fish being caught on various presentations. Please note that due to the Chatfield Reallocation construction fishing access from the west side of the park (Massey Draw – Kingfisher) is closed. Please access the lake from the east side of the reservoir. 
Chatfield Reservoir

Conditions Report - Southwest Colorado

Blue Mesa Reservoir

This 8,900 acre reservoir is located west of Gunnison. As of 5/3/2018, Trout fishing has been very good with fish being caught at various depths using multiple presentations. Some reports of trout being caught shallow, casting close to the banks with jerkbaits has been productive. Kokanee Salmon fishing has been good 20 to 50 feet below the surface. Lake trout fishing has been picking up, some anglers are reporting large fish being caught and released. Anglers can check on current conditions and boat ramp inspection schedules by contacting Curecanti National Recreation Area at (970-641-2337).
Blue Mesa Reservoir

Crawford

As of 5/2/2018 Water temps are in the mid 50's. We have had reports of perch, crappie, trout and pike being caught recently.
Crawford State Park

Mancos

As of 5/4/2018, The lake is open water and has been stocked with thousands of rainbow trout already this spring. Additional stockings will occur through the summer. Mancos is a great place for consistent action from trout and yellow perch. Most of the trout action is from 10-12 inch fish, but there's very good opportunity at an 18-20" trout and a few 12"-plus perch. Great opportunity for kids to catch fish. Most anglers are finding success with bait (PowerBait, eggs, and crawlers) fishing just off bottom or under a slip bobber. For a chance at the yellow perch and trout, a small jig fished under a bobber on a long leader and tipped with a piece of worm is a good bet. Casting or trolling typical in-line spinners (Panther Martins, Mepps) from boats is another approach at the trout. Hand-launchable boats (non-motorized kayaks, canoes, belly boats, etc) are a great way to fish the lake in this off-season. This is the first year in more than 15 years that the lake has not gotten decent ice to fish.A park pass is required on vehicles in the park. Daily park passes are available at the self-serve pay station at the park entrance.
Mancos State Park

Navajo State Park

As of 4/24/2018 fishing is getting better every day as the water temperatures continue to rise. Crappie fishing is starting to pick up early in the morning. Some Smallmouth Bass are being caught along with a few Pike. Jigs work well for the Crappie with John Deere green being a good choice. Tube jigs work well for the Smallmouth Bass and Pike.
Navajo Reservoir