Southeast Colorado Fishing Conditions – July 21, 2017
Arkansas River Headwaters
The upper river is in excellent shape, and the fishing here has been really productive lately. Flows have risen due to rain this week, but conditions are still within the ideal range for the wade anglers. Visibility is good on the upper river. We are seeing good caddis and golden/yellow sally stonefly activity mixed with drakes through Hayden Meadows down to Granite. Chalk Creek is dumping cloudy water into the river at Nathrop, but we are hoping this slowly clears up soon. Conditions are good upstream of the confluence and fish are still holding in sheltered, slower water poised for vulnerable terrestrial and aquatic insects.
Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
Clear Creek Reservoir
Trout angling from shore and boat remains fair at Clear Creek Reservoir. Anglers mostly caught 8 to 12-inch rainbow trout. Shore anglers landed a few trout on PowerBait in the morning. Trolling less than 2 mph with cowbells coupled with worms has been the best method to land trout. Successful kokanee salmon anglers caught a few fish during the morning. Sometimes squids and dodgers work well for anglers targeting kokanee salmon. The reservoir is closed to trailer motorized watercrafts on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The current boating hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Lake Pueblo
The current surface temperature is around 76 degrees. Fishing has been fair to good lately. Look for walleye in deeper water now that temperatures have gone up. Lindy rigs, grubs, worms, and live bait are producing walleye. The bass fishing has slowed down, so anglers will have to work a little harder. Soft plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits will still produce a few fish as well as top water baits early and late in the day. Mornings and evenings will produce better results for all species now that the water has warmed up. We have not received many reports on the trout fishing. The catfish are being caught on the west end of the reservoir using chicken liver and worms. The wipers have been far and few between.
Monument Lake
The trout fishing has slowed down in the past week for anglers using all methods including flies, lures, and bait. The bass fishing is still good for anglers using spoons and spinners. Gold and red lures are getting the most bites. The perch and bluegill fishing is good near the weed beds and anglers seem to be catching them the most consistently near the east shore. Late afternoon and evenings have been the best time to fish, but be prepared for the evening lightning storms that we will experience daily throughout the summer season.
Trinidad Reservoir
The fishing is currently rated as fair to good for trout and walleye. Fishing for all other species has been slow. The trout are feeding on the surface and are looking for dry flies. Anglers reported very slow fishing for trout using spinners, Kastmasters, and PowerBait. The walleye are biting well near the dam for anglers using spoons and jigs. The walleye are small in size and are averaging around 10 to 15 inches in length.
