Stillwater Fishing Reports

Stillwater Fishing Reports

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Stillwater:

Latest Update: 3/6/2025

Stillwaters are bodies of water like lakes, ponds and reservoirs. These bodies of water can be extremely productive fisheries, and can hold a variety of species like trout, carp and bass. Each stillwater can fish differently so hopefully these reports can be helpful for anglers looking to jump into this game.

Stillwater trout:

Most lakes on the front range are still going to have ice on them but we are expecting warmer temperatures this week and on the horizon. The ice sheets are going to start peeling back in the coming weeks and the fish are going to be looking for balanced leeches and chironomids moving horizontally rather than ice jigs moving vertically. This period while lakes are not completely iced over but have some open water can be some of the most productive lake fishing of the year. If your favorite stillwater is still icy, go check out a tailwater like the Grey Reef, Miracle Mile, or the Big T in Estes!

Feel free to give either shop a call or swing by to get some more info on stillwater fishing.

Recommended stillwater trout flies Flies:

North Park / Laramie:

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

Streamers:

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

Alpine:

Dries:

  • GT Triple Double #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 flies:

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

Warmwater:

Local Warmwater/Horsetooth:

Horsetooth and our local ponds around town can be great spots to get into a variety of species like carp, bass and even pike. As spring and summer approach, these are some of the best time to target these species. Fishing baitfish patterns, crawfish, and poppers can be very effective when fishing for bass. Carp have become one of the most fun fish species to chase with a fly rod between their power and the puzzle it is to cast at a fish with the right fly and finesse make carp a little taste of flats fishing in our own backyards. Carp love to eat small crayfish flies off the bottom when they are tailing as well as small nymph patterns like swimming nymphs when they're cruising. Your Pike species will likely be chasing baitfish patterns. As the ice comes off we will start to see them in the shallows.

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
  • Pearl Popper
  • Covert Mission

Pike:

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

Carp:

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