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Summit County fishing report: Plenty of options for fall fishing

Dave Coulson
Special to the Daily
Denver resident Gregory Aragon fishes in Dillon. Dillon Reservoir is full, clear and has very few anglers.
Kristin Skvorc / Special to the Weekender |

Fall fishing is fast approaching, and by some accounts it’s already here. One thing’s for sure — the crowds have abated, even on the more popular waters.

Rivers remain low and clear for the most part. While low water means wary fish, they are definitely eating. There will be sporadic caddis and mayfly hatches, but terrestrials and midge will be the better producers over the next few weeks.

The Blue River below Dillon is producing well, and with few anglers, it’s a pleasant fish, especially during the week. While midges and mysis shrimp patterns are consistent producers, look for the occasional hatch of pale morning duns (small) at this time. Even with the lower pressure, fine tippets, 6X or finer, are recommended.



If you’re looking for waters with few anglers, the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers are other good choices at this time. While dry-fly action exists, nymphs are going to be your best bets, especially attractor style.

Dillon Reservoir is full, clear and has very few anglers. Put a couple of fly boxes in a day pack, grab a travel rod and bike around the shore looking for rises. Some of the smaller insets are seeing good action at this time. Nearby Officers Gulch is well stocked and a good option just to catch a few smallish rainbows.



South Park, Spinney Mountain and Antero reservoirs have been producing mixed results. Catch the right conditions and you can expect good action, but most of the time it has been painfully slow. Spoons are a good bet to cover lots of water, or try a streamer if you’re a fly-fisher. Look for some surface action under low-light conditions.

Eleven Mile Reservoir is fishing fair, with some of the best action coming to those trolling lures 10 to 20 feet down. Even the ever dependable Tarryall Reservoir and Jefferson Lake have slowed down.

Kokanee anglers should pass up Green Mountain as the run hasn’t started and head to Wolford Mountain Reservoir, where trolling continues to produce fair numbers of fish with small spoons.

Turquoise Lake is worth the drive if you can fish late afternoon into the evening, lots of surface action by the rainbows. Note the campgrounds around Turquoise have closed for the season.

Dave Coulson is the Colorado state editor for http://www.fishexplorer.com. He contributes a weekly fishing report to the Summit Daily.


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