Stillwater Fishing Reports

Stillwater Fishing Reports

Book your trip today!

Local Warmwater:

Latest Update: 12/10/2024

Horsetooth/Warmwater Ponds Report:

As night temperatures drop, bass are moving closer to the surface, making them easier to catch this winter. Stripping leeches, buggers, or using poppers can attract more active bass. Cooler weather is on the horizon, bringing some changes to the fishing. Trout in the lakes will become more active and aggressive as they search for food before the coming winter. Carp may stop feeding as the weather cools, so try fishing for some of the smallmouth bass and trout.

Consider a guided trip on Horsetooth or Lone Tree Reservoir to learn more about warm water species like bass, walleye, and carp. Just remember to check local regulations before heading out. Have fun and tight lines!

Recommended Warmwater Flies:

Bass:

  • Sparkle Minnow #04
  • Jawbreaker
  • Ritt's Fighting Craw
  • Meat Whistle
  • Balanced Baitfish
  • NearNuf Crayfish
  • Galloup's Nancy P
  • Thin Mint #06-10
  • Clouser Minnow #02-06

Pike:

  • Barry's Pike Fly
  • Game Changer
  • GT Roosta
  • Articulated Sparkle Minnow
  • EP Minnows
  • Clouser Minnows
  • Deceivers

Carp

  • Headstand
  • Backstabber
  • Swimming Nymph
  • Mayer's Mini Leech
  • Dirty Monkey
  • Montana Prince Nymph

Stillwater Trout

High alpine lakes and reservoirs are still fishing phenomenally. If you are looking for ways to wrap up the high alpine lake season, check out some of the still waters at the top of Poudre Canyon or venture out into Rocky Mountain National Park to hike up to the offerings that we have right in our backyard.

Dry Fly fishing can be extremely rewarding and productive since you are generally sight fishing and putting your flies in front of cruising trout. If you don't see much activity from the surface, work different depths with chironomids under indicators or strip leeches and damsel fly nymphs slowly along edges, drop offs, and in the deeper water. Terrestrial patterns like small ants, beetles, and grasshoppers have been working along with smaller Adams and midges.

Local Stillwaters

The Delaney lakes have begun fishing for Fall and are worth hitting. Running Chironomid patterns with a leech below during the day is a great option. Stripping leeches, crayfish or streamers during low light conditions has been very effective as well. Be well prepared for doing both and you should be able to find a few willing fish.

Ants and beetles on top with a small chironomid 3-4 feet below can be a very fun and effective way to fish these lakes as well and find a few dry fly eaters. Keep an eye out for closures on certain parts of Delaney as Fall hits and the browns begin to spawn.

The Plains Lakes have turned on as well. Utilize the same tactics mentioned above at these lakes. Leeches and buggers stripped in lower light conditions work very well. nymph rigs with scuds, chironomids, damsels and leeches will find fish through the sunnier parts of the day when fish may go deeper.

Recommended Stillwater Trout Flies:

North Park / Laramie:

  • Tak's Crystal Chironomid #12
  • Titan Tube midge #14
  • Yankee Buzzer Blk #12
  • Bruised Balanced Leech #10
  • Balanced Swim Leech Olv #10
  • Balanced Leather Leech #10
  • Sierra Damsel Olv #12
  • Theos Boatman Blk #12
  • Gilled Nymph olv #16

Streamers:

  • Nancy P Nat/Ylw #6
  • Chickabou Craw-Olv #6
  • Jigged Thin MInt #6
  • Sparkle Minnow Brn/Ylw #4
  • Dungeon Craw #2

Alpine:

Dries:

  • Ant-Acid Blk/Purp #16
  • Black Para ant #14
  • Fathead beetle #14-#16

Nymphs:

  • ChironoCone Red #12-#16
  • ChironoCone Blk #12-#16
  • Balanced Leech Blk #10
  • SowBug Gry/Tan #18-#16
  • Chirono-Pupa Red/Blk #14

Streamers:

  • Mini Dungeon Wht/Ylw #6
  • Sparkle Minnow Blk/Craw #8
  • Copper Thin Mint #12-#8

General Stillwater Trout:

Dries:

  • Chernobyl Momba Ant Blk/Brn #12
  • Glitter Ant Blk #16

Nymphs:

  • Juju Chironomid Olv #16-#14
  • Juju Chironomid Red #16-#12
  • Flashback Scud tan #12-#16
  • Flashback Scud Orange #12-#16

Streamers:

  • Thin mint #12-#8
  • Pine Squirrel Leech Blk/Brn/Nat #10
  • Mayers Mini Leech Blk/Brn/Olv #14
  • Peanut Envy Ylw/Olv #6