Lake turnover has just ended at Wolford Reservoir, which always brings on a feeding frenzy by trout and salmon in this impoundment. Wolford is one of the coldest reservoirs in the state, keeping its trout and salmon active through the hottest summer months. Current water temperatures range from 52 to 55 degrees, compared with the 60s and 70s in other trout waters.Fish here include browns, rainbows, golden trout and splake, a cross between a brookie and lake trout. They are being caught in the mouths of coves along the western shore on Power Bait (orange or red-white-and-blue), fished deep, Panther Martins and Blue Fox spinners. Dan Murphy at The Fishing Hole in Kremmling says copper-colored lures such as Kastmasters are also effective because they resemble crayfish, the principal forage in Wolford.Wolford also has kokanee, now found in 20-22 feet of water on the east side of the lake, just north of the dam, where the water is deepest and coolest. Trollers there are scoring with orange or red Arnies, Tasmanian Devils, Wedding Rings and Krokodiles in “Fire Tiger” or rainbow trout colors. Hammered brass spoons with red stripes also catch both trout and kokanee. In two to three weeks the salmon will stack up for a spawning run to nowhere since they were planted as fingerlings near the dam wall and have no river to home on.For the complete fishing report, visit http://wildlife.state.co.us/dowfish/index.aspDenver MetroClear Creek (above Hwy. 119) – Some trout are being caught mornings and evenings but it’s best to fish those sections of the creek furthest from the road. Brown Hackle Peacock and Grey Ugly flies are most productive. Lure casters should use small Black Panther Martins.

Clear Lake – Fishing is best described as fickle. Small brookies will hit small worms or any dry fly with a bubble. There are also stocked rainbows, best caught on Power Bait. Fish the morning, then quit and enjoy the scenery. South Platte River (Waterton Canyon) – The farther you go up the canyon the better the fishing. Mostly browns but some rainbows can be caught here. Fish the pools below riffles with small crankbaits or gold spoons. Flyfishers do well late in the morning with RS2s and Beadhead RS2s. NorthwestBlue River (below Green Mountain Reservoir) – Cooler flows out of Green Mountain Reservoir have lowered water temperatures to 56-58 degrees, creating excellent fishing. Caddis provide most of the daytime action with black Trico spinners in the evening. Switch to hoppers or San Juan Worms when nothing is hatching. A hopper/dropper rig is very effective trailing a Pheasant Tail or Prince Nymph. The tailwater beneath the dam is subject to periodic security closures and is currently only open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are three other public accesses on BLM land downriver to the confluence with the Colorado, but they are narrow and anglers are warned to stay off adjoining private property. Blue River (Dillon to Green Mtn. Res.) – The flow from Dillon Reservoir is up at 110 cfs. In Silverthorne, many fish are still being hooked on small flies in the No. 18-22 range such as cream WD-40s, Miracle Nymphs, Disco Midges, Candy Canes and Mysis shrimp. Fishing between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. is best, with dries after noon. Green Drakes are on the decline in the stretch from Blue River Campground to Green Mountain Reservoir, but they have been replaced by good Caddis and PMD hatches. Drakes in the tailwater below Dillon dam are still to come and will provide great dry fly action when they arrive. Colorado River (below Parshall) – Flow is 889 cfs near Kremmling. Cooler water, thanks to increased flows from the Williams Fork River, makes for excellent fishing. Main hatches are Caddis and Callibaetis, with plenty of hopper action land a good evening spinner fall. Use No. 16 Tan or yellow Caddis, RS2s, gray or black WD-40s, Prince Nymphs, No. 10-12 Joe’s Hoppers, Trico Spinners, No. 18-20 CDC Emergers and No. 16-18 Callibaetis Spinners. Colorado River (Glenwood to Rifle) – The Colorado is finally clear and flowing at 1,870 cfs in Glenwood Springs. Fishing has been very good with streamers early and late in the day and nymphing the riffles midday when water temperatures are at their highest. Currently they are in the low 60s. Hot flies include Autumn Splendors, Slumpbuster, Zuddlers, BH Princes, Pheasant Tails, Rusty Spinners and Tricos. Colorado River (near Granby) – Flows are low, 64 cfs near Granby, and temperatures remain uncomfortably high for trout. However, the flow below Williams Fork has increased. Try not to stress trout until increased flows cool things down. The Colorado has been enjoying a profusion of overlapping hatches by Drakes, PMDs, Caddis, Yellow Sallies and hoppers. Recommended flies include Parachute Adams, various green/olive styles, Stimulators, Woolly Buggers, Irresistibles and terrestrials. In the immediate Granby area and downstream to the bridge at the west end of Byers Canyon, bait fishing is also permitted and two fish may be kept. Elkhead Reservoir – Fishing is very good for crappie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, especially around the inlet. The smallmouth bass population has been augmented by 1,300 fish removed from the Yampa River to safeguard native and endangered fish species such as the Colorado pikeminnow. Bass are hitting on tubes, Marabou jigs and jigheads with Twister tails. Crappie here run big, up to 14 inches, and are being caught on one-inch tubes and small jigs. Pike fishing has slowed but a few are still being caught at the inlet where they are feeding on crappie. Some nice catfish of up to 12 pounds have also been caught at the inlet and by the dam. The limit for smallmouth and largemouth bass is two fish at least 15 inches long. Fryingpan River – The Fryingpan is clear with heavy hatches and great flows for dry fly fishing. Current flows are at 112 cfs below Ruedi Reservoir. There are heavy PMD hatches on the entire river, good Green Drake activity between mile markers 6-12 and good BWO hatches below the dam. At dusk small Caddis and Rusty Spinners provide excellent dry fly fishing. Nymphing the riffles midday is also productive with Pheasant Tails, Barr Emergers, Halfback Emergers and Poxybacks.

Grand Lake – Rainbow and brown trout are biting well in 5-15 feet of water on yellow Tasmanian Devils, Panther Martins, salmon eggs, worms or Power Bait. Lake trout are hanging in 30-40 feet of water and difficult to catch. But Chris Hegeman reports that anglers are having some success slow-trolling a silver spoon tipped with sucker meat above a 3-ounce sinker bounced along the bottom. The lake level remains full. Bag and possession limit for lake trout is 4 fish, only one of which can be over 36 inches. Green Mountain Reservoir – Fishing is slow to fair. Boats are doing better trolling than shorecasters, catching small German browns and rainbows. Large kokanee salmon are beginning to stage for their annual spawning run and hitting on Wedding Rings and Kokanee Kings. Rifle Gap Reservoir – Lake level is 58 feet below capacity and the boat ramp can only be used by shallow-draft boats. But fishing for trout and walleyes is excellent. Matt Bunker of Clifton caught a walleye weighing more than 11 pounds on a gold and brown Rapala last week. Best trout areas are along the west end and by the Cedar campground. Worms, Power Bait, salmon eggs and Kastmasters all catch fish. Rio Blanco Lake – Pike fishing has slowed some but crappie, bluegill and catfish are all biting well. Cut bait and stinkbaits work best for catfish and the best fishing times, if you can stand the mosquitoes, are morning and late evening. Crappie and bluegill are hitting on white and chartreuse crappie jigs; some bluegills are bigger than the crappie. Roaring Fork River – The Roaring Fork is low and clear and fishing very well. Current flows in Basalt are 320 cfs, and 614 cfs in Glenwood Springs. There are good PMD and Caddis hatches with a Rusty Spinner fall at dusk. Nymphing the faster seams with Princes, Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns and small Baetis is super productive. Hoppers are starting to make their presence known finally, with smaller Charlie Boy Hoppers in Tans being favored by fish. White River – Flow is 343 cfs near Buford and 311 cfs at Meeker. Rain sometimes discolors the water but fishing is generally excellent with regular Caddis hatches, good hopper action and an evening spinner fall. The Sleepy Cat access has provided consistently good fishing lately, even during the heat of the day. Use No. 10-12 hoppers in yellow and green colors, No. 14-16 Caddis, Parachute Adams, Tricos and just about any beadhead. Williams Fork Reservoir – Pike fishing continues to be very good, but anglers must remember to return all northerns within the 26 to 34-inch slot limit. Big Rapalas, frozen shiners and red and white Dardevles work best for pike. Trout fishing is spotty using smaller Rapalas in rainbow trout colors and silver and blue Kastmasters. Not many trout are being caught but those that are run big, 20-25 inches. Kokanee are 22-28 feet deep, hitting well on red Arnies, Tasmanian Devils, Needlefish and Wedding Rings. Lake trout have moved into much deeper water and few have been caught lately. Williams Fork River – Fishing remains great, thanks to cooler water caused by increased flows from the Williams Fork dam. Callibaetis, Caddis and hoppers provide most of the action here with a good evening spinner fall. Trico spinners and mosquitoes work well early morning and evening. Bring bug spray. Yampa River (Stagecoach through Steamboat) – Fishing is good in the tailwater below Stagecoach Reservoir with midges, PMDs and evening Caddis. Nymphs: No. 20 Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Copper John, black RS2 or Barr’s Emerger. Dries: Parachute, Sparkle Dun and PMD Emerger. Flow in downtown Steamboat Springs is 65 cfs with Caddis, hoppers, crickets and Tricos providing good surface action mid-morning and evening. For dry/dropper rigs, try a Hare’s Ear, Prince Nymph, Timmy’s Nymphanator or Green Caddis Pupa below a big Hopper or Cricket pattern. Several river sections are restricted to flies and lures only and/or catch-and-release. Call the Steamboat Fishing Company at 970-879-6552 for the latest conditions. Southeast

Arkansas River No. 3 (Through Pueblo) – Fishing is improving for trout with flies and bait. Arkansas River (Buena Vista to Salida) – Flows are 580-630 cfs with clear water. Pale Morning Dun Mayflies are hatching in late morning, hoppers in the afternoon, Caddis in the evening. Arkansas River (Leadville to Buena Vista) – Flows are 37 at Leadville, 150 cfs in Hayden Meadows and 550 cfs in the Granite Gorge – all clear. Big attractor dries with small beadheads are a good combo. Good Mayfly hatches midday, Caddis in the evening. Arkansas River (Salida to Canon City) – Flows are 580 cfs in Salida and 677 cfs in Canon City. The clarity below Badger Creek has improved dramatically, leaving 30-plus miles of good water in this reach. PMDs, Caddis and hoppers are all hatching, and Red Quills should start soon. Clear Creek Reservoir – The reservoir remains full and fishing is good as long as anglers confine their efforts to early morning and late evening. Small dry flies work well along the north shore and upper end of the lake. Elevenmile Reservoir – Kokanee fishing remains good in the coves around Coyote Ridge for both trollers and shorecasters. Needlefish, Arnies, Panther Martins, Dick Nites, Tasmanian Devils and Kastmasters work well in the middle of the lake between Duck and Goose Islands while Power Bait or worms work best from shore. Trout fishing is good at both the north and south sides of the reservoir. Successful trollers are using Tasmanian Devils, Rapalas, Kastmasters or Arnies tipped with nightcrawlers. Shore anglers do best at Lazy Boy, Rocking Chair, Witchers Cove and Howbert Point using any color Power Bait, worms, egg patterns or salmon eggs. Pike fishing runs hot and cold; best spots are coves with weed beds using black Bunnies or black and silver Rapalas. South Platte River (btwn Spinney and Elevenmile) – Fishing remains excellent. Trout are hitting on Trico Duns, RS2s, midges, Brassies, No. 16 Red Copper Johns, Black Beauties, Griffith’s Gnats, No. 16 Light Tan Hare’s Ears, Tube Callibaetis, Pheasant Tails and Trico Spinners. The South Platte is flowing at 42.9 cfs above Elevenmile. SouthwestGunnison River (below Crystal Dam) – Flows are around 600 cfs and, thanks to some cloud cover, this section of river has avoided the worst of summer’s heat. The Portal is fishing well with PMDs, Caddis, hoppers and midge larvae, pupae, emergers or adults. For nymphs try the usual cast of characters including Beadhead Princes, Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, Halfbacks, Scuds and San Juan worm. If all else fails use Woolly Buggers or Muddler Minnows. Call the Cimarron Creek Fly Shop at 970-249-0408 for updated conditions. Gunnison River (through the canyon) – Flow through the canyon is 601 cfs and fishing is very good through the Gorge. Most of the fish being caught are browns. Fish close to the banks with midges, PMDs and Blue Wing Olives. Hottest flies right now are No. 8 Woolly Buggers in black or Flash-a-Bugger colors. Yellow Stimulators and San Juan Worms also work well with a Prince Nymph dropper. The upper Gunnison is nice and clear. Increased flows have raised the water level to where jet boats are back in business, though no motorized craft are allowed above the confluence of the North Fork and Gunnison Rivers. Other restrictions: Gold Medal Water, catch-and-release, flies and lures only. No rainbows may be kept and the bag limit on brown trout is one over 16 inches and three under 12 inches.