Fishing Report - Northwest (5/21)

If you'd like to try fishing, or want to get a friend hooked, take advantage of Colorado's annual Free Fishing Weekend, June 2 and 3. A free fishing clinic for kids is scheduled June 2 at Quail Lake in Colorado Springs.

Each year, the first full weekend in June is set aside to promote sport fishing. During that weekend, no fishing license is required. Learn more at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fishing pages.

See the state's Stocking Report, which shows were catchable trout were recently stocked.

See seasonal fishing information and learn how to get a fishing license.

Regions: Denver Metro, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest

Delaney Buttes, Cowdrey and Lake John (Jackson County)
No report this week.

Dumont Lake (Grand, Routt and Jackson County)
LAKE IS CURRENTLY DRAINED FOR REPAIRS. Dumont Lake is not expected to reopen until 2013 or 2014.

Elkhead Reservoir State Park (Moffat County)
No report this week.

Harvey Gap State Park (Garfield County)
PLEASE NOTE: Large and Small Mouth Bass must be returned to the water from May 1 - June 15th, due to spawning. 3,600 rainbow trout have just been stocked in Harvey Gap Reservoir. They are reported to be at least 10 inches in length. They were stocked 4/19/12.

Highline Lake State Park and Mack Mesa Reservoir (Mesa County)
Trout are still biting at both Mack Mesa and Highline Lakes - some nice sized trout have been taken from both lakes recently, along with the stockers. Bass and crappie are finally biting, as the water finally warms up to 60 degrees or so. Near the dam at Highline Lake seems to be the best fishing area for bass and crappie, from the bank or from a boat. PowerBait is now available in the Visitor Center, along with nightcrawlers and fishing licenses. Get ready to be "Gone Fishin" at Highline or Mack Mesa Lake! For those who prefer to troll Highline Lake, ANS boat inspections are available at the WEST ramp, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. only. As always, ". . . the worst day fishing is better than any day at work!" If you catch or see a northern pike at either lake, please remove it from the water if possible and turn it over to park staff.

James M. Robb Colorado River State Park (Mesa County)
Fishing has slowed down some but people are still catching trout at Old Orchard Lake at Island Acres as well as at Corn and Connected Lakes. 2000 rainbow trout were stocked at Red Rocks Lake at Fruita on 4/23. The crappie and catfish are still biting at Fruita and there are still a few large trout that are biting on flies and power bait.

Lake Granby (Grand County)
No reports this week.

Pearl Lake State Park (Routt County)
Belly boaters are doing well around the willows, bank fishing has been OK. The dam area has been producing pretty well also. Please remember Pearl Lake is regulated to flies and lures only, with a bag limit of two 18"+ trout.

Rifle Gap State Park (Garfield County)
PLEASE NOTE: Large and Small Mouth Bass must be returned to the water from May 1 - June 15th, due to spawning. Most anglers are looking for perch (no limit), pike (no limit) or trout (limit 4). Most recently some large Walleye have been spotted on the bottom of the lake off the Cedar campground loop. It was reported that a 22" Walleye caught and a 24" Pike were caught by the same angler.

Stagecoach State Park (Routt County)
Anglers fishing from the shore or a boat have had good luck near the inlet. Pike and trout reports have picked up, and people are catching plenty of fish. Power bait seems to be working best for trout from shore while rapalas are doing well from boats. Tailwaters anglers are using San Juan worms, RS2's and zebra midges. CR 18 is now open. During the busy season for the Tailwaters, anglers are asked to be mindful of the resources and help avoid overcrowding.

Steamboat Lake State Park (Routt County)
The reports on fishing are great! Parks staff has had reports of 17-20 inchers being caught. The fish seem to be hitting just about everything. The inlets are still producing well as is the dam area. Meadow Point on the Mill Creek side is doing well also.

Sylvan Lake State Park (Eagle County)
Fishing has been great! There are a variety of hatches going on right now. For fly fishing, fish are biting on olive wooley worms #12, olive. Midge flies with white beads in olive and red. The stocker cutthroats and rainbows, along with native brook trout are moving around in schools close to shore, eating a variety of midges. As for bait fisherman, red and green power bait has been doing very well, along with a variety of spinners.

Vega State Park (Mesa County)
Fishing is very good at Vega. Rainbows are being caught daily in the 14 - 18 inch range with Power Bait, worms, salmon eggs and Panther Martins. Please remember to stop at the entrance station and/or visitor's center and have your boat inspected prior to launching.

Anglers wishing to contribute information to the weekly fishing report should submit their fishing tips or conditions reports to fish.reporter@state.co.us. The deadline for the weekly fishing report is Mondays at 5 p.m.