Fly Fishing Colorado
Fly fishing in Colorado doesn't get much better than the
opportunities presented by Grand County's abundant resources. With 1,000
miles of streams, 1,000 acres of high mountain lakes and 11,000 acres of
reservoirs, a fishing trip to this particular area of Colorado will
reward anglers of all levels of expertise. Trout and salmon are the most
sought after prizes in mountain fishing and all through Grand County,
lurking below the water's surface you will find mackinaw and kokanee
salmon as well as rainbow, brook, German brown and cutthroat trout.
Colorado River
Fishing on the Colorado River, the largest in the area and which begins
in the Rocky Mountain National Park, is allowed within the park's
boundaries. The next stretch open for public fishing is from Shadow
Mountain Lake Dam down to Lake Granby. The Colorado River is joined by the Fraser River west of Granby. Public
fishing begins at Hot Sulphur Springs, and then continues downstream for
approximately four miles to the end of Lonebuck Campground. The next public fishing stretch is from Parshall downstream to the end
of the BLM Sunset property, approximately 3 miles. The river is
classified as Gold Medal Water from Granby at Windy Gap downstream to
the Troublesome Creek. The river contains some of the best rainbows and
browns in the state. The Colorado is an excellent river for spring nymph fishing, stoneflies,
mayflies and caddis larvae. Fraser River
The Fraser River begins on the west side of Berthoud Pass and flows
north through Winter Park, Fraser and Tabernash, joining the Colorado
River at Granby. Many smaller streams flow into the Fraser River before
it goes into the canyon below Tabernash. The river through the canyon is
classified as Wild Trout Water. It has a good population of wild
rainbows, browns, brookies, and the occasional cutthroat. There is
public fishing in the town of Fraser upstream to the bottom of Berthoud
Pass with only a small amount of private property. St. Louis Creek
St. Louis Creek begins at St. Louis Lake (very popular for hikers as
well as fishermen), and joins the Fraser river at the town of Fraser.
There are eight picturesque miles of stream available to fish with no
special regulations and a good population of brook trout with some
rainbows and browns. There are two public campgrounds on the stream
making it a great place to take the family. Willow Creek
Willow Creek is reached by driving west of Granby to Highway 125. Follow
the highway until you enter Arapaho National Forest. Public fishing
begins here with the road paralleling the stream to the top of the pass.
It harbors a good population of brookies and rainbows with some browns.
There are no special regulations and several Forest Service campgrounds
along the stream. Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Lake & Grand Lake
The largest of the five lakes north of Granby (accessible from Highway
34), Lake Granby is a popular lake for boating, sailing and fishing.
Famous for its mackinaws (lake trout), it also has good rainbows, browns
and kokanee salmon. Connected by a boat channel, Shadow Mountain Lake
and Grand Lake also have a good population of the same fish as Lake
Granby. All three lakes have marinas and supplies. Monarch Lake
A very pretty quiet lake with no motors allowed on boats. Rainbows,
browns and brookies can be caught with no special regulations.
Meadow Creek Reservoir
To reach Meadow Creek Reservoir, turn off Hwy. 40 east of Tabernash onto
County Road 83 and take a left at the fork onto County Road 84. Follow
signs 9 miles to the lake, which is also a popular place to camp
surrounded as it is by heavy forest at 10,000 feet elevation. The lake
is stocked well with rainbows and has wild brook trout.
High Country Lakes
There are many other lakes and streams in the area coming out of the
high country, fed by melting snow and springs. Most are available to
public fishing in the Arapaho National Forest. |
