[Zman]

Got to Estes at 7:30 am Sunday morning...5$ for vehicle access...found out that the boat needed a $5 daily pass too...available at the Marina...open at 8 am...

Went with my friend Dennis from Greeley...I was on a search mission for reputed walleyes and muskies...lots of fish on the fish finder...used leeches for walleyes near the bottom had about 6 hits...no teeth marks from needle sharp walleye teeth though...couldnt hook them...I think they were stocker Rainbows that werent sure what to do with the leech...Dennis used nightcrawlers and caught stocker Rainbows...I never did hook anything with a leech...

Casted big bucktails with a second rod...didnt see any muskys...wind was swirly and the lake whitecapped at times...saw trout with polarized glasses but like I said no muskies...there is a 36 inch minimum sign up there so they do stock them...

The lake temp was 64...the structure was interesting...water in front of the dam was about 35 feet deep and then came up abruptly on an angle as the rocks on the dam...there were a few fish at the base of the dam...the south side dropped off in a hurry into castable water from shore that reached 20 feet...same for the north shore by the hotel...I was surprised it dropped off as quickly as it did...the west side was only about 5 to 10 feet deep by the no boats line that stretches across the lake to keep boats from the power plant...I am sure it is as a result of the Lawn Lake dam going out back in 1982 and putting a ton of silt in the town of Estes and subsequently Lake Estes itself...it used to be premo brown trout fishery prior to this...there were several humps and trenches/drop offs out there too...all in all pretty interesting...we left around 1 pm...

Next stop Boyd Lake...started in the Marina channel around 4 pm due to lake lice traffic on the main lake...we had had good luck with white bass in there a few weeks ago...fish were scarce...the lake level seems to be down about 10 feet (Horseshoe is way down across the highway)...water temp in the marina channel was 74...we went to the main lake and caught a couple of walleyes around 17 inches and a good sized white bass...all went back...the walleyes were caught drifting leeches and the white bass on a rainbow flavored size 6 Panther Martin...fish were widely scattered...water temp on the main lake was 71...we gave up about 8pm...we were the last trailer in the parking lot...I did catch a miniture small mouth looking bass that looked like it was bleached...I dont think it was a smallie...was it a spotted bass or another variety of bass...

Sorry not much help on Boyd...I am trying to learn more but I have no idea where to go there...it is a fairly structureless bowl..but I do like it for all the varieties of fish in there...I will figure it out...just need more trips...October...no skiers...and still warm...

Also hit north Denver at 9:20 pm...on pace to get home by 10...NOT!...rotomilling of I-25...looks like it will continue for awile...put me home after 11pm...just thought you might want to know for evasive manuevers in the future should you go that way later in the evening...

 

[tbmanivong]

Nice report.

I know what you mean about North I-25. I live up this way and deal with it 7 days a week.

 

[catmann29]

I went night fishing for cats at Boyd last night and nailed then! Caught them at the south inlet by the campground.

 

[James]

I was in the Estes marina Sun. morning. I was going 4 wheeling w/ a buddy, and wanted a couple more small lures for brook fishing. Anyway, I heard 2 groups of people asking about the Estes Muskie. The guy working, (I didn't know him) told both groups that he didn't know of anyone catching legal sized Muskie. In fact the only Muskie he had heard of caught were only 11-12 inches?  ??? Now I would have just shrugged it off ( :), but I've heard this before. My friend Jan (an avid angler), who used to work at the marina once told me she caught a Muskie (out of Estes) that was just over 12 inches (no more than 14").  Can this be right? I know there are Muskie in there, I've seen them. Not this year (although I've looked alot), but often last summer. The ones I saw were big, they had to be legal, or very close.
I know they don't breed, and I know @ Pinewood and Evergreen they stock them 19-22 inches. Could they be stocking them @ Estes that small !??

zman --- nice report, sorry to take in a new dirrection. maybe I should ask this in COfishing.  ;D  Anyway, we didn't find any fish on the jeep trails, so went back and fished Estes from probably 4-6. Caught a few Bows on a Elkhair Caddie fly (fly & bubble). We were fishing near the golf coarse parking lot. You probably left at a good time. It was pretty windy w/ scattered rain while we fished. 

 

[catmann29]

I didn't know they stocked tiger muskie under 24". If they do that's a first. I have a friend who works at a hatchery in Nebraska that has tiger muskie. I'll ask him what they generally do.

 

[Zman]

James thanks for the info on what you have seen...I wont give up on the area...my fiancee likes to fish/shop up there...and I can fish...

I have a friend who works at a hatchery in Nebraska that has tiger muskie. I'll ask him what they generally do

...I am sure it isnt what our stupid DOW does...<sarcasm>

Man to get them to 24 inches you would have to feed the crap out of them...to keep them from eating each other...

 

[catmann29]

My friend said that they stock hybrids at 24" in Nebraska. He said he believes they stock them smaller here. But he said that in Nebraska a 24" tiger muskie will reach 48" in two years.

 

[fishinguitars]

you guys also have to take into concideration the people who have been stocking whatever they feel like in lake estes .....the division of wildlife isnt stocker crappie, yellow perch, or walleye in there ...but now they have developed populations of all three in lake estes ......When I was talking to the d.o.w. officer to the area he told me that there have been one of two keepers caught and they even shocked a few at idlewild that got downstream ....he said even in the river down from estes from time to time people see them its a rare occasion but it happens ....So maybe the same people that are stocking the walleye, yellow perch, and crappie ....have also put in a number of tiny tigers .....in evergreen earlier this year muskys inc . of colorado or whatever they are called stocked 200 18-24 inch tigers in evergreen .....so 18 is the smallest ive ever heard being stocked....but it wasnt by the d.o.w. ....who knows .....what a long post for me to say ...who knows !!!!

 

[epic]

you guys also have to take into concideration the people who have been stocking whatever they feel like in lake estes .....the division of wildlife isnt stocker crappie, yellow perch, or walleye in there ...but now they have developed populations of all three in lake estes ......When I was talking to the d.o.w. officer to the area he told me that there have been one of two keepers caught and they even shocked a few at idlewild that got downstream ....he said even in the river down from estes from time to time people see them its a rare occasion but it happens ....So maybe the same people that are stocking the walleye, yellow perch, and crappie ....have also put in a number of tiny tigers .....in evergreen earlier this year muskys inc . of colorado or whatever they are called stocked 200 18-24 inch tigers in evergreen .....so 18 is the smallest ive ever heard being stocked....but it wasnt by the d.o.w. ....who knows .....what a long post for me to say ...who knows !!!!

Usually people who stock the lakes like this are just catching them in one location and putting them in another, they arent paying for them... Since tigers are a hybrid I doubt they are stocking smaller hybrids then what is catchable in other waters here.
The dow also said they stocked the tigers in pikeview at 12-18 inches.

 

[roadkill]

i have read of the smaller tigers being stocked here but if they are stocking a lake that has lots of suckers then they stock bigger fish that are ready to feed on the suckers it worked wonders up here at deweesw ove talked to lots of old timers that had quit fishing here because all they caught were suckers but then the dow stocked a bunch of tigers and this year i caught less then 1% suckers and the trout grow big quick but if the lake doesnt have a sucker problem it is porbably not very cost effective to grow the tigers that big befor stocking them

my 2 pennys

 

[James]

Wow. It seems as if everyone up here has a different story. Last summer when the lake was full, theren was a shallow cove. I saw about 9 of them (Muskie) in that cove every time I looked. This year, I haven't been able to spot them. Even w/ polorized shades and use of the kayak. Also, everyone has been catching suckers. Last year when they drained the lake really low. They bulldozed in the lake. Now, you can wade almost to the middle of the lake from the inlet area. Maybe after that they found a new spot.  ???

Whereas the Muskie "STORIES" I hear vary alot. The Walleye reports all sound alike. Usually caught by the tunnels that go under the road, and off worms.

I haven't heard of anyone catching Crappie, but I did read that someone did (in CO H & F).
Perch, I've caught quite regularly, and decent sized too.

I'll keep looking for the Muskie.  ;D

 

[scorpion_bsk]

Wow. It seems as if everyone up here has a different story. Last summer when the lake was full, theren was a shallow cove. I saw about 9 of them (Muskie) in that cove every time I looked. This year, I haven't been able to spot them. Even w/ polorized shades and use of the kayak. Also, everyone has been catching suckers. Last year when they drained the lake really low. They bulldozed in the lake. Now, you can wade almost to the middle of the lake from the inlet area. Maybe after that they found a new spot.  ???

Whereas the Muskie "STORIES" I hear vary alot. The Walleye reports all sound alike. Usually caught by the tunnels that go under the road, and off worms.

I haven't heard of anyone catching Crappie, but I did read that someone did (in CO H & F).
Perch, I've caught quite regularly, and decent sized too.

I'll keep looking for the Muskie.  ;D

Let me know when you find the Muskie there!!! I still want to take a trip up there sometime soon.

 

[fishinguitars]

love estes park ...no one thinks they have nice fish for some reason....this one wasnt even a mile away from lake estes

 

[catmann29]

Nice trout! The biggest I have ever caught was a little over 17". Just a guppy!

 

[fishinguitars]

17 is a nice fish ...I honestly think the majority of people who fish in colorado ( I cant say colorado fishermen..hahahaha) have only caught 10 inch stocker rainbows ...its sad the state has so much more to offer ...but then again more big fish for all of us !!!!

 

[lynmack]

I have a friend/coworker that has two rainbows mounted from Estes lake.One was 27"and 7+lbs,the was 29" and over 8lbs.He has lived in Boulder his whole life and fished Estes alot.He caught them both from the dam,by the outlet,but you can't fish there any more.Goes to show that there are some big fish in there,just have to be at the right place at the right time.

lyn

 

[James]

FG --- Pretty nice !  Across from the pond off Mall road ?

The biggest I've gotten out of Estes was 21" (Bow), my favorite day included 2 Browns, a 16 &1/2" and an 18"er. It's ussualy fishable year round. Last New Years Eve, I caught 7 fish in a few hours after work.

Scorpion --- I'll deffinatly let you know. I hear the best month to catch Muskie is November.