Yampa River: Because of the lowering of the water level at Stagecoach Lake, flows remain good a with excellent fishing throughout the Yampa.
Morning Mayfly Madness! Fish rising on size 22 and 20 tricos. Best fished 10″ behind. Small size 16 and 18 yellow or tan caddis. Look for small blue winged olives to start mixing in. Afternoon grasshoppers with or without bead head droppers. Evening caddis hatch still strong.
Elk River: Grass hoppers, pmd mayflies, and caddis olive crystal buggers, and leeches. Try dropping soft hackle P.T. nymphs, as well as various caddis pupas and pmd nymphs.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Small tan or olive caddis dry flies with small midge and mayflies. Droppers 12″ to 14″ down. Black ants. Try red, black, and rust tailwater tinys. Size 12 and 22 black or olive RS2′s, etc.
Steamboat, Hahn’s Peak, and Pear Lakes: Damsel flies, wet and dry callibaetis mayflies. Ants, hoppers, and midge patterns to rising fish in the evenings. Most fish are staying very deep in the afternoon hours.
Flattop Lakes: Damsels, wet and dry, small black or olive leeches or buggers subsurface. Ants and flying ants, callibaetis and some caddis in the evenings.
Yampa River: Morning Mayfly Madness! Fish rising on size 22 and 20 tricos. Best fished 10″ behind. Small size 16 and 18 yellow or tan caddis. Look for small blue winged olives to start mixing in. Afternoon grasshoppers with or without bead head droppers. Evening caddis hatch still strong.
Elk River: Grass hoppers, pmd mayflies, and caddis olive crystal buggers, and leeches. Try dropping soft hackle P.T. nymphs, as well as various caddis pupas and pmd nymphs.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Small tan or olive caddis dry flies with small midge and mayflies. Droppers 12″ to 14″ down. Black ants. Try red, black, and rust tailwater tinys. Size 12 and 22 black or olive RS2′s, etc.
Steamboat, Hahn’s Peak, and Pear Lakes: Damsel flies, wet and dry callibaetis mayflies. Ants, hoppers, and midge patterns to rising fish in the evenings. Most fish are staying very deep in the afternoon hours.
Flattop Lakes: Damsels, wet and dry, small black or olive leeches or buggers subsurface. Ants and flying ants, callibaetis and some caddis in the evenings.
The rivers are improving daily and fishing very well.
Yampa River: Good mid morning hatch of pale morning duns (pmd’s) size 14 and 16. Evening hatch of olive, tan, and black caddis size 14-16, as well as green drakes. Streamers effective if stripped slowly and kept deep. Try leadeye and conehead black, olive, and brown buggers, and sculpin patterns. Nymph fishing is good. Use prince nymphs, copper johns, and march browns. Also be sure to use hoppers, attractor dry flies, and tricos.
Elk River: Fishing well, use stone fly nymphs, prince, copper johns, red squirrels, etc. Also, use attractor dry flies, and small hoppers.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Use small pmd emergers in size 18-20. Midge patterns, red tailwater tinys, jujubee midges, mercury midges, miracle midges, gold tailwater tinys, and gilled nymphs.
Steamboat and Hahn’s Peak Lakes: Olive and black leeches and buggers, damsel fly nymphs, small crayfish or rubber leg stones. Try dropping scuds, big princes, hares ears, or pheasant tails.
Pearl Lake: Use dark colored buggers, leeches, and zonkers (black with purple, or purple). Drop guides choice hares ear, red copper johns, red copper bob softy, and bloody marys.
Flat Top Lakes; Stillwater, Bear, Yamcola: Flying ants, caddis and for surface flies, along with midge clusters in the evening. GT triple double, griffith gnats, and renegades. Subsurface flies include rust colored leeches and buggers, and oh yeah damsels.
The rivers are improving daily and fishing very well.
Yampa River: Good mid morning hatch of pale morning duns (pmd’s) size 14 and 16. Evening hatch of olive, tan, and black caddis size 14-16, as well as green drakes. Streamers effective if stripped slowly and kept deep. Try leadeye and conehead black, olive, and brown buggers, and sculpin patterns. Nymph fishing is good. Use prince nymphs, copper johns, and march browns. Also be sure to use hoppers.
Elk River: Fishing well, use stone fly nymphs, prince, copper johns, and red squirrels. Also, use attractor dry flies, and small hoppers.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Use small pmd emergers in size 18-20. Midge patterns, red tailwater tinys, jujubee midges, mercury midges, miracle midges, gold tailwater tinys, and gilled nymphs.
Steamboat and Hahn’s Peak Lakes: Olive and black leeches and buggers, damsel fly nymphs, small crayfish or rubber leg stones. Try dropping scuds, big princes, hares ears, or pheasant tails.
Pearl Lake: Use dark colored buggers, leeches, and zonkers (black with purple, or purple). Drop guides choice hares ear, red copper johns, red copper bob softy, and bloody marys.
Flat Top Lakes; Stillwater, Bear, Yamcola: Flying ants, caddis and for surface flies, along with midge clusters in the evening. GT triple double, griffith gnats, and renegades. Subsurface flies include rust colored leeches and buggers, and oh yeah damsels.
The rivers are improving daily and fishing very well.
Yampa River: Good mid morning hatch of pale morning duns (pmd’s) size 14 and 16. Evening hatch of olive, tan, and black caddis size 14-16, as well as green drakes. Streamers effective if stripped slowly and kept deep. Try leadeye and conehead black, olive, and brown buggers, and sculpin patterns. Nymph fishing is good. Use prince nymphs, copper johns, and march browns.
Elk River: Fishing well, use attractor dry flies, humpies, and stimulators.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Use small pmd emergers in size 18-20. Midge patterns, red tailwater tinys, jujubee midges, mercury midges, miracle midges, gold tailwater tinys, and gilled nymphs.
Steamboat and Hahn’s Peak Lakes: Olive and black leeches and buggers, damsel fly nymphs, small crayfish or rubber leg stones. Try dropping scuds, big princes, hares ears, or pheasant tails.
Pearl Lake: Use dark colored buggers, leeches, and zonkers (black with purple, or purple). Drop guides choice hares ear, red copper johns, red copper bob softy, and bloody marys.
Flat Top Lakes; Stillwater, Bear, Yamcola: Flying ants, caddis and for surface flies, along with midge clusters in the evening. GT triple double, griffith gnats, and renegades. Subsurface flies include rust colored leeches and buggers, and oh yeah damsels.
The rivers are improving daily and fishing very well.
Yampa River: Flows are coming down daily. Good mid morning hatch of pale morning duns (pmd’s) size 14 and 16 and yellow sally stones size 16 and 18. Evening hatch of olive, tan, and black caddis size 14-16, as well as green drakes. Streamers effective if stripped slowly and kept deep. Try leadeye and conehead black, olive, and brown buggers, and sculpin patterns.
Elk River: Too high to fish.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Use small pmd emergers in size 18-20. Midge patterns, red tailwater tinys, jujubee midges, mercury midges, miracle midges, gold tailwater tinys, and gilled nymphs.
Steamboat and Hahn’s Peak Lakes: Olive and black leeches and buggers, damsel fly nymphs, small crayfish or rubber leg stones. Try dropping scuds, big princes, hares ears, or pheasant tails.
Pearl Lake: Use dark colored buggers, leeches, and zonkers (black with purple, or purple). Drop guides choice hares ear, red copper johns, red copper bob softy, and bloody marys.
Flat Top Lakes; Stillwater, Bear, Yamcola: Flying ants, caddis and for surface flies, along with midge clusters in the evening. GT triple double, griffith gnats, and renegades. Subsurface flies include rust colored leeches and buggers, and oh yeah damsels.
Yampa River: Flows are coming down daily. Good mid morning hatch of pale morning duns (pmd’s) size 14 and 16 and yellow sally stones size 16 and 18. Evening hatch of olive, tan, and black caddis size 14-16. Streamers effective if stripped slowly and kept deep. Try leadeye and conehead black, olive, and brown buggers, and sculpin patterns.
Elk River: Too high to fish.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Use small pmd emergers in size 18-20. Midge patterns, red tailwater tinys, jujubee midges, mercury midges, miracle midges, gold tailwater tinys, and gilled nymphs.
Steamboat and Hahn’s Peak Lakes: Olive and black leeches and buggers, damsel fly nymphs, small crayfish or rubber leg stones. Try dropping scuds, big princes, hares ears, or pheasant tails.
Pearl Lake: Use dark colored buggers, leeches, and zonkers (black with purple, or purple). Drop guides choice hares ear, red copper johns, red copper bob softy, and bloody marys.
Flat Top Lakes; Stillwater, Bear, Yamcola: Flying ants, caddis and for surface flies, along with midge clusters in the evening. GT triple double, griffith gnats, and renegades. Subsurface flies include rust colored leeches and buggers, and oh yeah damsels.
The high mountain lakes are accessible and there is great fishing there. Use small streamers and leeches. In the evenings you should be successful with dry flies.
Yampa River: The water is high but clear, and water level is going down every day. The fishing is good, and we recommend using nymphs and streamers. Dry fly fishing should pick up next week. Use PMDs and yellow sallies.
The conditions for the lakes remain consistant.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Lots of fish and people here. Try size 16 pheasant tri beads or scud with bluewing emergers and midge droppers. Good patterns include palms BWO and soft hacklebiot, RS2’s in black and olive, WD40’s, jujubee midges, gilled nymphs etc. Dry flies should include BWO emergers, i.e. brook sprout, winger parachute, winger emergers in blue wings size 18-20.
Stagecoach Reservoir: Trout caught on olive and black leeches and buggers size 10 and smaller, and crayfish jigged along the bottom. Look for rising fish eating big midges and chironomids. Pike fishing is starting to turn good as fish come up into the shallows.
Steamboat Lake: We recommend fishing Mill or Willow Creek inlets, Meadow Point, or Rainbow Ridge coves. Use olive buggers or light bright leeches. Drop larger size prince nymphs, 20 inches or scuds, hares ears, etc.
Pearl Lake: Use purple buggers and black and purple zonkers. We recommend fishing around the inlets, and looking for crayfish off the dam side.
Elk River: Still not fishable.
The fishing report will remain steady through the next couple weeks. Once the Yampa River calms down from all the melting snow, fishing in that area should improve.
Yampa River: Great Kayaking. If you must fish, do so at Bank Eddy with big stones or dark buggers. Wade at your own risk.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Lots of fish and people here. Try size 16 pheasant tri beads or scud with bluewing emergers and midge droppers. Good patterns include palms BWO and soft hacklebiot, RS2’s in black and olive, WD40’s, jujubee midges, gilled nymphs etc. Dry flies should include BWO emergers, i.e. brook sprout, winger parachute, winger emergers in blue wings size 18-20.
Stagecoach Reservoir: Trout caught on olive and black leeches and buggers size 10 and smaller, and crayfish jigged along the bottom. Look for rising fish eating big midges and chironomids. Pike fishing is starting to turn good as fish come up into the shallows.
Steamboat Lake: We recommend fishing Mill or Willow Creek inlets, Meadow Point, or Rainbow Ridge coves. Use olive buggers or light bright leeches. Drop larger size prince nymphs, 20 inches or scuds, hares ears, etc.
Pearl Lake: Use purple buggers and black and purple zonkers. We recommend fishing around the inlets, and looking for crayfish off the dam side.
Yampa River: Great Kyaking. If you must fish, do so at Bank Eddy with big stones or dark buggers. Wade at your own risk.
Stagecoach Tailwaters: Lots of fish and people here. Try size 16 pheasant tri beads or scud with bluewing emergers and midge droppers. Good patterns include palms BWO and soft hacklebiot, RS2′s in black and olive, WD40′s, jujubee midges, gilled nymphs etc. Dry flies should include BWO emergers, i.e. brook sprout, winger parachute, winger emergers in blue wings size 18-20.
Stagecoach Reservoir: Trout caught on olive and black leeches and buggers size 10 and smaller, and crayfish jigged along the bottom. Look for rising fish eating big midges and chironomids. Pike fishing is starting to turn good as fish come up into the shallows.
Steamboat Lake: We recommend fishing Mill or Willow Creek inlets, Meadow Point, or Rainbow Ridge coves. Use olive buggers or light bright leeches. Drop larger size prince nymphs, 20 inches or scuds, hares ears, etc.
Pearl Lake: Use purple buggers and black and purple zonkers. We recommend fishing around the inlets, and looking for crayfish off the dam side.
