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1 Fishing Regulations Information for Anglers Learn from the Pros during Fly Fishing 101 Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Grand Valley Anglers are inviting novice anglers to fly fishing 101, a one-evening only seminar where they can learn all the basics from experienced anglers at CPW's Hunter Safety Building at 711 Independent Avenue in Grand Junction, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The program is designed for beginners. No experience is necessary and all equipment will be provided. Topics will include casting techniques and gear - including rods, reels and flies and insect biology. Participants will have the opportunity to dry-land cast to sharpen their newly learned skills. Instructors include members of the Grand Valley Anglers chapter of The Western Colorado Trout Unlimited Club. CPW personnel will discuss laws and regulations. Space is limited. Register at, Review Fishing Tip of the Week Looking for a new fishing experience? Try night fishing for your favorite species. Night fishing is at its best when there is a full moon or when there is enough moonlight for fish to see your bait. Night fishing may substitute quantity bites for quality catches. The technique can be applied to other species as well including, but not limited to, bass, trout, pike and crappie. Learn All You Want to Know about the Art of Fly Fishing Come and learn what flies to use, how to cast, and which fish are the tastiest. Meet at the Golden Gate Canyon Visitors Center in the morning for all the information you could ever want on Fly Fishing. In the afternoon come to Kriley pond and practice your skills. Some rods are provided. To find out more about this fishing event visit: Looking for an Amazing Autumn Fly- Fishing Destination? Check out Moraine Park! There are some locations that perfectly depict the beauty and grandeur of Colorado s backcountry. In these unique landscapes, bugles of bull elk echo across serene mountain valleys, hungry trout populate cold, gin-clear streams, and the scenery is so sublime that it s like it was conjured up from lyrics in some John Denver song. For fly fishers, autumn in Rocky Mountain National Park epitomizes this perfect setting. Charlie Meyer State Wildlife Area Stream Habitat Enhancement Aug. 31 to Oct. 2 CPW is conducting river channel construction and trout habitat enhancement for approximately 1.5 miles along the South Platte River at the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area. During this work period, alternative angling is advised. In-stream construction will occur Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m.to 3 p.m. Heavy equipment will be actively operating in the river channel and along river banks. During these hours, river waters may become muddy (turbid) and fishing may be effected in the immediate vicinity and downstream of construction activities. There will be no in-stream construction activities Saturdays and Sundays. The upstream boundary is a posted property boundary marker (at the end of the improved habitat reach). The downstream boundary is the County Road 59 bridge crossing. This project will be completed by early October. Anglers can still find fishing opportunities locally, including two miles of the South Platte River below Spinney Mountain Reservoir Dam and the South Platte River below County Road 59 bridge to Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. Now you can take the #ColoradoOutdoors anywhere. Follow Before you head out fishing, head for facebook.com/cpwfishing. Colorado anglers can "like" the new CPW Fishing Facebook page to get tips, share stories and more. If you love fishing, this is the place to be. Fish with us on Twitter Colorado anglers can get fishing updates directly from CPW on Twitter.

2 Stocking Report The following waters were recently stocked with catchable (approximately 10") trout: Body of Water Region Report Date WAHATOYA RESERVOIR Southeast Region 9/1/2015 NORTH LAKE Southeast Region 9/1/2015 WATER DOG RESERVOIR Northwest Region 9/1/2015 PLATORO RESERVOIR Southwest Region 9/1/2015 MIX LAKE Southwest Region 9/1/2015 MESA LAKE Northwest Region 9/1/2015 ECHO LAKE Northeast Region 9/1/2015 BLUE LAKE Southeast Region 9/1/2015 BEAR LAKE Southeast Region 9/1/2015 TAYLOR PARK RESERVOIR Southwest Region 9/1/2015 SAN CRISTOBAL LAKE Southwest Region 9/1/2015 RIVERWAY POND Southwest Region 9/1/2015 RIVERSIDE PONDS Southeast Region 9/1/2015 PAC-MAN LAKE Southwest Region 9/1/2015 GUNNISON POND Southwest Region 9/1/2015 TRINIDAD RESERVOIR Southeast Region 9/1/2015 TARRYALL RESERVOIR Northeast Region 9/1/2015 DILLON RESERVOIR Northwest Region 9/1/2015 COLUMBIA RESERVOIR Northeast Region 9/1/2015 BEAR LAKE Northwest Region 9/1/2015 WOLFORD MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR Northwest Region 9/1/2015

3 Catch of the Week The catch of the week goes out to Jahsiel Calzada from Walsh, CO. Jahsiel caught this big Largemouth Bass out at Two Buttes Reservoir using a senko. Congratulations Jahsiel! Have a fish you're proud of? Share your photo

4 Conditions Report Metro Area Aurora Reservoir The reservoir is open to boating and the water temperature is 67 degrees. Trout fishing from shore is rated as slow to fair. Occasionally anglers have been having good days. Fish will be deep so cast out yards! Most fishermen catch trout using PowerBait from a slip rig and crawlers. Boaters report success ranging from fair to good for trout while trolling with rapalas, spoons and pop gear with crawlers. The trout are deep too so try trolling deeper. Walleye fishing is anywhere from slow to fair with a few good catches occasionally. Most walleye caught are from boats trolling with bottom bouncers with crawlers, jigs and drop shots and under the 18 size limit. Yellow perch fishing is good using jigs and worms and small crank baits in the coves from boats in 8-15 of water. The reservoir is restricted to electric motors only and all watercraft must be inspected prior to launch. For more information call The park hours in September are 6 a.m.- 8 p.m. Quincy Reservoir The reservoir is open to boating. Water temperature is 68 degrees and the water level is good. Fishing for bass overall is slow to fair. Most reports are of bass being caught using soft plastics, jerk baits, crank baits and top water lures. No reports on other species at this time. Fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures only. Only watercraft capable of being launched by hand permitted and electric motors only. All watercraft must be inspected prior to launch. For more information call The park hours in September are 6 a.m.- 8 p.m. Conditions Report - Northeast Colorado Boyd Lake The current water temperature is estimated to be approximately 74 with a depth of approximately feet. Estimate approximately 1700 Surface Acres. The bass fishing for largemouth, smallmouth, and white bass has been fair to good and the best places to fish is the Marina, Pump house, and North Cove. Anglers have caught the bass on worms and lures. The catfish and crappie fishing has been fair and most anlgers are catching them on lures and worms at the inlets and lake wide. Walleye have been caught using worms and bottom bouncers in shallow waters at the east edge of the Marina. As always the trout fishing has been good. Anglers have been using womrs and PowerBait and the trout have been biting lake wide. 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. Eldorado Canyon State Park Fishing conditions in the canyon are currently good. Water levels are average for summer (34 cubic feet per second as of Aug.24.) Fishermen have been having success with BWO, hoppers, and worms. Colorado Fishing Licenses are required and are available for purchase at the park Visitors Center. Eleven Mile Reservoir The water flow is 160 cubic feet per second coming into the reservoir and it is 151 cubic feet per second coming out of the reservoir. The water temperature is 64 degrees and the trout fishing is good. The bite continues to be sporadic and unpredictable, but plenty of very large fish are being caught. Work the deep water feet off of Stoll or Lazy Boy down 20 feet to the bottom. Tasmanian devils are good, but they sure do get finicky on the color pattern. Witchers Cove and Lazy Boy have had some great results this week for trout with shore anglers pulling in some 20 inch plus fish. North Shore around Rocky Flats and Stoll Mountain shore anglers are also fairing well. Salmon peach PowerBait is the trout preference this week, also yellow PowerBait, orange PowerBait, garlic PowerBait, spinners, tube jigs, needlefish and tasmanian devils all are working. The kokanee salmon fishing has been slow, but some have been caught between Deer and Duck islands. Keep trying everything in the tackle box. The northern pike fishing has been fair and anglers have had to work at it to get bites. The best baits to use are rapalas, tube jigs, spinners, and pike bunnies, and there have been some anglers who have caught them on worms. Jackson Lake The lake level is relatively full only about 3-4 feet lower than usual. Surface water temperature is approximately 77 degrees. Fishing has been really good for trout and walleye. Fishing for all other species has been fair to poor. Jackson Lake Fish Survey and Management Data.

5 North Sterling Reservoir The water temperature is 84 degrees. The south boat ramp has been re-opened on a day-to-day basis depending on weather. Walleye were caught up the Darby and Cunningham Arms as well as in the Elks Bay using worms, leeches and artificial lures. Catfish have been caught using worms, cut bait, and chicken livers off of Sunset Cove, Sunset Point, and Balance Rock along with bluegill and trout. Catfish were also caught off the West Trailhead and near the Inlet Canal. Night fishermen have caught catfish using bait that glows and has a garlic taste. Wiper fishing is slowing down but some were caught up the Darby arm in the weeds using artificial lures. Crappie have been caught early in the morning before 8 a.m. Fishing licenses can be purchased at the Visitor Center that is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday through Tuesday for more information call Stagecoach Reservoir Fishing from shore has steadily increased due to cooler weather and water temperatures dropping. Anglers are still catching a fair amount of fish. Many anglers at the headwaters have been catching rainbow trout using black and olive wooly buggers, black zonkersk, and sparkly PowerBait! There was a gentleman that caught a 24, seven pound rainbow trout just a few days ago. The area near the dam has been fishing well using streamers. Try fishing deeper waters using sink tips. Northern pike are biting although most are fairly small, the average seems to be about 20. Most anglers have been using barry s pike fly red and white, cisco kid toppers, heddon rattlin spooks, and booyah pikee. Fly fishing at the Tail Waters has been steady with anglers catching lots of trout. The new renovation project has increased fish reproduction and size tremendously. The waters below the dam are at perfect conditions and the fish are always hungry! Fishing in the morning, afternoon, and on overcast days are the prime times to catch fish. The water flow is approximately 80 cubic feet per second. On clear days anglers must make 6 and 7 X fluorocarbon tippets a must. Try using small indicators and micro split shots to not spook the fish. When using nymphs try: :RS2 in any color, bead wing midge, red d midge, sow bug, pheasant tail nymph, the barr s emerger, and parachute adams. When using dries try: Size 22-24, red guill, hi-viz griffiths gnat, parachute midge, spider midge, BWO, and last chance cripple PMD. Spinney Mountain Reservoir The water flow is 67.6 cubic feet per second and the fishing at Spinney has been very good. Fishermen who are trolling from a boat are having the most results, but shore anglers results have been improving. Try callibaetis nymphs, size #12-14, damsel nymphs, size #10-14, streamers, size #4-10, some reports of spinners working well. High flow rates are beginning to drop back down. The bridge at the Spinney Pier has been closed for safety reasons. In the dream stream the water is flowing at 135 cubic feet per second and the fishing is great right now on the river. These are some of the best times to try San Juan worms (red, pink, tan) size #16, yellow sally s, size 12-18, PMD dries, #18-20, foam caddis dries, size #16-20, and terrestrials/hoppers (orange, tan, yellow), Size # Sylvan Lake Anglers are catching 12-14" rainbow trout and a few cutthroat and brook trout too. Orange and purple PowerBaits, small panther martins, brown or olive woolly buggers, streamers all have been good baits to use. A good place to try fishing is West Brush Creek downstream. The Inlet Creek is closed Sept. 1 Nov. 30. Conditions Report - Southeast Colorado Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) Slow for all species. A few channel and blue catfish are being caught, and the upper boat ramps are usable. Arkansas River The Arkansas River has settled into fall flows with 108 cubic feet per second in Hayden Meadows, 246 cubic feet per second at Granite, and 465 cubic feet per second in Bighorn Sheep Canyon. Absent significant rain, one would expect these flows to continue to decline at a very gradual rate. Water quality is good throughout the river corridor and this, combined with the reduced current velocity, is giving fish good incentive to move off the banks and disperse throughout the channel. In other words, much more of the river is now productive water. For food, we still have some pale morning duns but the star mayfly right now is the red quill. Other active aquatics include caddis, some lingering tricos, and midges. Look for blue wing olive mayflies to resume within the next few weeks. The riparian zone is rife with terrestrials hoppers, beetles, and ants so that is another imitative avenue that anglers can pursue. In most instances, Arkansas River brown trout are now found in an open-minded and opportunistic mode, feeding in a deliberate if circumspect manner as they seek to pile on calories for the spawn and winter to follow. Light tippets, muted color schemes from the wardrobe, and a low-profile approach will all help the angler at this time, so will a more delicate presentation and natural drift. Fish are still feeding hard; but with the exigency of high water passed, they are a little more cautious and discriminating in their choices.

6 Clear Creek Reservoir Fishing conditions at Clear Creek Reservoir remain slow. Morning anglers experienced more success at landing trout when compared to the catch rate of afternoon and evening anglers. A majority of the fish caught were rainbow trout between 8 to 12 inches. Successful fly fishermen caught trout on green woolly buggers at the southeast corner of reservoir. The southern part of the reservoir can be accessed by a trail located near the pond off of highway 24. Trolling cowbells coupled with worms at 1.5 mph has been the most productive method to land trout. Fishing with either yellow PowerBait or live grasshoppers from a boat has worked well too. Kokanee salmon fishing has slowed down a bit from last week. Boat anglers targeting kokanee salmon usually employ squids and dodgers tipped with corn near the dam of the reservoir. The reservoir is closed to trailered motorized watercrafts on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The current boating hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Starting Sept. 10, boating hours will change to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crystal Lakes Fishing at Crystal Lakes has slowed over the last couple of weeks. However, fishermen from both the shore and in belly boats continue to have decent success on assorted flies, lures, and spinners. Cottonwood Lake Flies of all color have been working best early morning and evening. The best fishing is off shore from a small boat. Hand propelled vessels only, no trolling motors are allowed. Worms, PowerBait, and spinners have also been somewhat productive. Try fishing the stream below the lake as well. Forebay Reservoir Fishing at Forebay has slowed, but not as dramatically as the other lakes in Lake County. Fishermen are continuing to report fair success from the shore with assorted baits and lures. Henry and Meredith Reservoir Since these lakes went dry two years ago, they have been refilled. Fry and fingerling fish are being stocked. There should be catchable sized fish next year in both lakes. The boat ramps are usable. Horse Creek Reservoir (Timber Lake) The lake had been dry for a decade. There is now water in it. Access is limited to the boat ramp area on the west side and the water's surface. The lake has been stocked with small catfish. It should be a year or two before there are catchable sized fish in the lake. Jackson Pond Fishing has been fairly slow, but some anglers have been catching a few nice sized bluegills and other panfish. John Martin Reservoir The reservoir is at 257,000 acre feet of water. Fishing on the reservoir is still very slow compared to last year. Anglers are having some luck catching walleye, saugeye, and white bass behind the trestle. Anglers are catching some white bass 8-12 inch, and some drum from the shoreline mostly on the west end of the lake around the pointy points, both on worms and white jigs. White bass and drum are mostly what is being caught, but not in great numbers. Very few crappie, catfish, and saugeye are being reeled in on the reservoir. Little success is being had below the reservoir in the stilling basin and Arkansas River. Water is being released and the basin and river are both running high and fast, making fishing very difficult with few people having any luck. Lake Pueblo Big walleye are being caught in Peck Creek Cove. Fishermen report success using top-water lures. Catfish between 8 to 12 inches long are being reeled in at N-1 Cove and have been biting on marshmallows and crayfish. Bass are plentiful near the shore against the dam. Fly fishermen have been catching decent sized trout on the river near the Rock Canyon Swim Beach. Lathrop State Park The cooler nights are causing the fishing to pick up a bit, with reports of bass being pulled out of Horseshoe, and pike out of Martin. Several small catfish have been caught at Martin as well. Midwestern Farms Ponds Fishing has been slow during the heat of the day. Anglers are catching some pan fish and a few small catfish early in the day and toward dusk. A few anglers have caught some larger catfish on the Arkansas River south of the Pond. If fishing on the river, be cautious of the wildlife area boundary and don t enter private property without permission.

7 Nee Gronda Reservoir Extremely low water levels, no surviving fish suspected at this time due to poor water conditions. Nee Noshee Reservoir Increased water levels allow for launching of boats from the south ramp. Preliminary stocking has begun with fingerling and fry sized fish, stocking will continue based on water levels. It will take a year or more for these fish to grow to a catchable size. North Gateway Park Fishing continues to be somewhat slow with the summer heat. A lot of fish have found the cooler water at the deeper depths of the pond. Some bass are being caught on hard baits and lures. A few catfish and rainbow trout are also being caught, but not in great numbers. Overnight fishing is allowed with a free permit issued by the City of Lamar. Queens Reservoirs Increased water levels allow for launching of boats from the south and west ramps. Preliminary stocking has begun with fingerling and fry sized fish, stockings will continue throughout the fall and spring with warm water species. It will take a year or more for these fish to grow to a catchable size. Lakes are currently receiving water. Boaters are urged to use caution as there is floating debris and unmarked obstacles. Trinidad Lake The lake is at 851 surface acres with a surface elevation of feet. The water temperature is in the upper 60 s. The trout fishing from shore picked up a little this week. Most trout were caught on PowerBait and night crawlers. We did get a few anglers catching catfish at the South Shore using chicken liver and some pork. Small perch have been biting on night crawlers from shore. Boaters are catching walleye, perch, trout and some small wiper using jigs, and trolling. Boaters are reminded that hazards on the lake may not be marked. Turquoise Lake The fishing at the lake has slowed, however fishermen are still having decent luck. The fishing is still best on both sides of Sugarloaf Dam, at Abe Lee, and at the inlet. Fishermen are having luck with assorted baits, lures and flies on a bubble. Twin Lakes Fishing at Twin Lakes over the last few weeks has slowed because of the warm temperatures. Fishermen continue to have decent success from shore, especially near the B.O.R, Power plant, with assorted PowerBait. Fishermen in boats are having better success since they can reach deeper water. Turks Pond Fair numbers of channel catfish are being caught by anglers using chicken livers, Oklahoma stink bait, and shrimp. Anglers can catch bullhead on nearly every cast using night crawlers, shrimp, or small pieces of liver fished right on the bottom. Anglers are encouraged to keep every bullhead they catch to help reduce the number of fish in the pond. A few nice crappie have been caught this week along the face of the dam. Trout will be stocked again this fall as water temperatures begin to cool. Two Buttes Reservoir Fishing for pan sized channel catfish has really heated up. Try using a night crawler fished about four feet beneath a bobber. Fishing for bass in the three to four pound class continues to be good for anglers using crankbaits, swimbaits, and soft plastic worms or jigs in the coves. Try smaller rattletraps, Berkley Power Minnows, and Mr. Twisters. Bluegill, green sunfish and crappie provide non-stop action for anglers using small jigs in the 1/32oz. size fished under a bobber or retrieved very slowing in two to four feet of water. A small wet fly is also picking up fish for fly anglers. Try a size 10 wooly bugger or small prince nymph stripped slowly in the shallows. There is a lot of natural food available for the fish that are in the lake. Successful anglers are mimicking the available forage. Shad schools are beginning to form and anglers can pick up the occasional wiper by using a minnow imitation swim bait or a clouser minnow for those that prefer to fly fish. Folks wishing to catch and release fish are encouraged to crimp down the barbs on their hooks. Trout fishing has slowed tremendously because of the high water temperatures but should improve as fall approaches. Two Buttes received a recent stocking of catchable yellow perch and will receive more fish this fall. A few Master Angler awards have been given out to Two Buttes anglers in recent weeks. There are some big fish in the lake, go and find them.

8 Conditions Report - Northwest Colorado Harvey Gap Reservoir Trout have been caught throughout the lake. Anglers report success with bass near the inlet. We have heard reports of catfish being caught after dark. Both tiger muskie and northern pike are being caught. Tiger muskie have been reintroduced to the lake. These can look similar to northern pike. Please know the difference! Tiger muskie have a minimum size of 36" and a bag limit of 1. Talk to staff before fishing or refer to the signage posted in the park for more details. Violators will be ticketed. Lower Fryingpan The water conditions are clear, though afternoon thunder storms can sometimes add in a bit of color. The food sources present are PMD s, caddis, and BWO s. The overall rating for this section of the river is 7.5 out of 10. Expect to see plenty of caddis, PMDs, BWOs, craneflies and stoneflies in this section. Streamer fishing can get quite good early and late in the day also. This is insanely good water to fish dry/dropper with. Hatches are a little less prolific down here now as the bugs slowly venture and push further up along the river. Terrestrials like small hoppers, beetles and ants are particularly effective. Lower Roaring Fork (Carbondale to Glenwood) The water flow is 905 cubic feet per second in Glenwood Springs and the water has good clarity with slightly higher than average flows. The overall rating for this section of the river is 7 out of 10 but certainly getting better and better. The food sources present are yellow sallies, caddis, PMD s, and BWO s. The float fishing has resumed too in a very BIG way. If you have the opportunity to float - definitely do so! Fishing conditions are rapidly changing as the bugs are becoming smaller and the river gets lower. Moss is a major factor for those out there nymphing. Be sure to clean those flies off after long drifts. Ditch those big drakes and start fishing the more numerous PMDs, caddis and BWOs. The rusty spinner bite nymphed in the morning hours has been strong, as has the BWO fishing during midday. The caddis "Power-Hour" at dusk has still been pretty darn exceptional with lesser numbers of boat traffic now that the drakes have pushed up. The river has dropped and cleared significantly over the past two weeks and we are looking prime for more normal water conditions. Middle Fryingpan The water is crystal clear. The food sources present are drakes, PMD s, caddis, and serratellas. The overall rating for this section of the river is 8 out of 10. Anglers are seeing very decent drake and PMD hatches mid-river. Remember, green drakes like to hatch in the rich, highly-oxygenated faster sections of water. In other words, don't count out pocket water! PMDs have been hatching heavily on most any day at this point from about 11am-3pm. Some BWOs are also being seen but are of lesser importance here compared to the upper river. Serratella anglers have been seeing the most bugs from mile four to mile eight. Caddis and rusty spinners are dominating the evenings where fishing has been pretty darn righteous! If crowds aren't your thing, take advantage of the "power-hour" at dusk. Middle Roaring Fork (Basalt Downstream to Carbondale) The water flow is 547 cubic feet per second in Basalt and the water has good clarity but still a bit on the high side for a better rating. The overall rating for this section of the river is 7.5 out of 10 with evening "lightning rounds" ranking an 8.5 out of 10. The food sources present are caddis, green drakes, PMD s, and BWO s. The majority of the drakes have pushed up higher along the river, but be ready for anything out there. Don't despair, the caddis "lightning round" has been just as good - with less crowds! Otherwise, nymph the faster sections of river with stones and drakes, the softer sections of river with PMDs, caddis and baetis. River flows are pretty close to normal down here and may be just a touch on the high side. PMDs are going strong seemingly all day now, with caddis beginning to appear in heavy numbers right around dusk. Take plenty of dry shake and your head lamp to take advantage of the amazing evening caddis fishing. This is one of the main reasons we all live here! The moss toss is officially here- meaning there is quite a bit of vegetation along the river bottom. You might need to clean those nymphs off from time to time so the fish can see them. Rifle Gap Reservoir Unfortunately, fishing has slowed down over the last week. Trout and perch are still being caught throughout the lake. Walleye and bass have been caught near the dam. Keep in mind that there are a couple of fishing regulations that are specific to Rifle Gap. The walleye bag and possession limit is one fish and it must be 18 inches or greater. The bag and possession limit for bass is two fish and it must be 15 inches or greater. For all other species, consult the statewide regulations. State Forest State Park Fishing has been great at dawn and dusk on North Michigan and Ranger Lakes. During the heat of the day, successes have been marginal and mixed. At Clear and Kelly, the high alpine lakes, there have been good catches reported with inch cutthroats being caught and many larger fish being seen. The nights are getting very cool, so if you are planning on visiting the alpine lakes, be prepared for chilly mornings and evenings.

9 Upper Fryingpan The water flow is 300 cubic feet per second and the water clarity is perfect and crystal clear. The overall rating for this section of the river is 8.5 out of 10 and getting better daily! Drakes have made it all the way up to the dam! Fishing has been very good and one can expect good midday hatches from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. as well as amazing rusty spinner falls in the evening. The food sources present are green drakes, PMD s, BWO s, caddis, midges, and mysis shrimp. Fishing has been very good to exceptional as hatches of drakes, pmds, bwos, caddis and more come to fruition. Early morning risers (fish and anglers) can find solitude and fish chowing on rusty spinners and midges. PMDs have been hatching beginning around 10:30 a.m., green drakes around noon, and sporadic midday hatches of BWOs. The rusty spinner fall in the evening hours has been incredible especially on days with hot, bright sun. As always, light tippets of 6x and 7x, as well as downstream drifts aid in success. With such a wide variety of bugs hatching, pay close attention to which insect the fish are focused on. In general, fish the big bugs in the shallow and fast water, with smaller bugs fished in the soft and deep water. The mysis shrimp fishing has been hanging on in the Toilet Bowl but don't expect to find many fish in the Flats at this time of year. Besides, the better fishing has been further away from the dam. Streamer junkies are doing well on overcast days. Keep those patterns in softer, neutral colors for the best success. Splendors, clousers and slumpies are all good options. Upper Roaring Fork (Aspen Downstream to Basalt) The water flow is at 174 cubic feet per second below Maroon Creek (Woody Creek Canyon). The water clarity is ideal but flows are still on the higher side. Fish the soft water and you'll do plenty of damage out there. The overall rating for this section of the river is 7 out of 10 simply due to slightly higher flows with evening hatches ranking at an 8 out of 10. If you want to fish green drakes on the Roaring Fork, this hatch is still happening, although it's starting to slow down. The food sources present are green drakes, PMD s, caddis, stoneflies, and BWO s. It's getting better each and every day along the upper river with hatches resuming as the water levels continue to drop. PMDs and caddis are the main hatches with lighter numbers of midges and BWOs. Green drakes are being seen in decent numbers midday (especially during days of overcast) and heavier numbers during the "Lightning-Round" at dusk. Just prior to the drakes coming off in the evenings, look for the fish to up on the surface keyed in on small caddis. Don't forget to skate, skitter and bump around your caddis dries for the best success. Nymphing has been producing the most fish out there on a day to day basis (at least midday). The number one rule up here right now is to focus on fishing the soft pockets of water and to cover water. One of the benefits of fishing during the backend of runoff and in higher water flows is that you can eliminate 99% of the water/river. That remaining 1% of river is just loaded and stacked with fish making "reading the water" very easy. Remember, where you catch one fish - there's probably another 12 in that same pool. Stoneflies and drake nymphs are fishing well as lead/point flies with smaller PMD and BWO patterns as dropper/trailing flies. Vega Reservoir Early Settlers boat ramp is closed for the season. Oak Point and the Island boat ramps remain open at this time. Water levels are receding. Fishing is still good. Anglers are reporting catching rainbows and cutthroats in the inch range using PowerBait and worms. Please make sure to have all boats inspected prior to launching. On Mondays please bring your boat to the Visitor Center for inspections; Tuesday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Wednesday - please bring your boat to the Visitor Center for inspections; Friday and Saturday - 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Conditions Report - Southwest Colorado Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Ponds Fishing in the Uncompahgre River at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk is excellent. The river flows are currently at 350 cubic feet per second below the dam, and 98 cubic feet per second coming into the reservoir. Fly fisherman are doing well on bead-headed nymphs, wooly buggers, copper johns, pheasant tails, and small midges. Spin fisherman are doing well with gold mepps and yellow/black panther martins. Please remember that the Uncompahgre River in Pa-Cu-Chu-Puk is restricted to flies and lures only, and all fish caught must be returned to the river immediately. The ponds at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk have a population of rainbows and some brown trout. Fishing in the ponds has generally been very good. There have been several larger fish (18"- 20") caught. Fishermen have been doing well with worms and salmon eggs on top in the mornings and evenings, and various colors of PowerBait off the bottom in the afternoon.

10 Ridgway Reservoir The reservoir is at percent capacity and the water level is dropping.the most recent stocking of the reservoir, with 2,700 catchable rainbow trout, occurred on July 14. Both shore fisherman and boaters are experiencing very good fishing for stocker-sized rainbows (8"-14") with a few larger fish (18"-22") being caught. The catch is mostly rainbows, but there have been some bigger browns and smallmouth bass. Shore fishermen are doing well along Dallas Creek day-use area and Mears Bay shorelines. Shore fisherman should try gold kastmasters, green and rainbow PowerBait, or worms off the bottom. Boat fishermen are having luck with gold pop-gear and black/silver sinking rapalas near the dam and around the opening to Mears Bay. Bag and size limits have been removed for smallmouth bass in Ridgway Reservoir. Fishermen are encouraged to take smallmouth from the reservoir to protect the rainbow and brown trout fisheries. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************** Information is provided by CPW employees and local fishing enthusists. Keep in mind that fishing conditions change on a constant basis. A lot can change in a week from the time this fishing conditions report is produced. If the water you are interested in knowing more about is not listed here, or if you're looking for the most current information, we encourage anglers to explore some of the numerous private websites that offer fishing condition reports. Help your fellow fisherman and submit your fishing reports all year round to dnr_fish.reporter@state.co.us or go online at To learn more about youth and adult fishing events throughout the state visit the CPW fishing events web page at To learn more about fishing regulations visit the CPW website at DNR Fish Reporter