[szangomango]

I want to go fishing tomorrow with my girlfriend, but if were not catching fish, shes not having fun. If shes not having fun, im not having fun... :-\

My luck the last month has been 100% skunked on any lake i try in the fort collins, loveland area. Where can we go to catch some nice sized trout without going home empty handed (looking for a meal)? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! no boat, only fishing from shore.

fyi: just looking for a day trip. within an hour from fort collins if possible. Thanks!!

 

[craig n]

Well, Deweese resevoir in Westcliffe is awesome. NEVER been skunked. Usually catch 13-16 or 17 inchers and you usually get about 10 or 12 fish.. Plus, theres tiger muskies there. Your almost garaunteed not to be skunked if you fish near the dam.

 

[Lazarus]

If you want true, big trout, you will have to go a little ways from the metro area. Here are colorado's best big trout fisheries that are relatively easy to fish.

1. Colorado River near Glenwood Springs
2. Gunnison River in the Gorge and below
3. Spinney Mountain Reservoir
4. Elevenmile Reservoir
5. Antero Reservoir
6. Lake John
7. White River from Buford to Meeker
8. Yampa River from Steamboat to Milner
9. Arkansas below Pueblo Dam
10. Delaney Butte Lakes

 

[szangomango]

deweese is a bit too far from fort collins for me to make it a day trip. but thanks for the advice, hopefully i can check it out sometime soon...

thanks for that list lazarus, im gonna start looking into those spots!

 

[James]

I'd recommend Lake Estes. There isin't alot of good sized trout, but you should limit out. It's probably 45 minutes to an hour from Ft. Collins. Nice scenery also. If you're going for size try Boyd (Loveland). Park in the marina parking, and walk out a ways. If the lake is still low, the Trout fishing is good, and they're ussualy decent sized. Ft. collins ?  The last time I was trying ( :-[) for Smallmouth at Horsetooth, my wife caught some huge Rainbows. It was at Sentaka (sp ?) Cove, by the boat launch. We've done well w/ Trout there before also.

Good Luck!

P.S. If you don't mind driving a little farther. Try Aurora Resevoir. HUGE Trout!!! I think the limit there is only 2 Trout. However 2 from there will weigh more than 4 from most places. 

 

[scorpion_bsk]

Pinewood is another good place for trout. I usually have no problem at all catching trout there! It's the other fish in Pinewood that I don't have any luck with and they are the ones that I want to catch! Darn Tiger Muskies!!!!! Trout fishing there usually isn't much of a problem tho.

 

[meandmydog]

horsetooth has big trout the key is finding them. i fish from shore and i just started catching fish outta there. beleive it or not lipless rattle traps have been killing the trout. i have had best luck by the dams. also worms work great. just of the bottom

 

[NeWcS]

Just by going off of what Slayer says Id try 11mile.


[me=Jay_In_Parker] [/me]

 

[hammer]

Add Stagecoach to the list. It's a little longer drive but the fishing and scenery are worth it. Last week I saw guys fishing from the shore and making occasional trips back to their truck holding plastic bags. I'm sure they were taking more that their limit. Brought it to the ranger's attentiion but they had already left. I think they were using crawlers or dough bait.

 

[left_turn56]

Taylor river just below the Taylor Res...HUGE!!!

 

[cowboyfisherman]

Well, the wife and I had some real good luck this last summer at Chatfield Lake State Park. Not all the trout we caught were "monsters", but a few of them were a very nice size (19" Brown). However, we were in a boat and in 40 feet of water. All the action would happen on Saturdays between 9 and 11 AM.
Chatfield is a little bit of a "jaunt" from Ft. Collins, but, there are nice Rainbows and Browns in the lake.
Fishing takes "patience" and that is something I have to tell my wife a number of times. I also tell her, "just because there are fish showing up on sonar, sure doesn't mean they are biting and we will catch anything!"
We had a couple of those "skunked" days, but we would just go back the following weekend and "hope, hope, hope for the best".
Cody (cowboy)

 

[szangomango]

we ended up trying horsetooth, but coulndt find the fish. ive never had any bit of luck at horsetooth. tried kastmaster, panther matrins, dare devil, salmon eggs, powerbait, worms, flys & nymphs under a bubble. maybe ill try it again once i own a boat, but till then, im done with it.

i havent caught a fish for over a month, and i go fishing about 3 days a week. i dont know whats going on with me... thought i was off to a good fall season with some nice bass early. but it dropped off to nothing! ???

 

[fishinguitars]

The colder the water gets ...the slower my presentation gets for warm water species...their metabolizm (spelling bee champ 89') slows down so they arent willing to work as hard for food. It they did work to hard it would defeat the purpose of eatting ..they would be expanding more energy to get the food..then they would be recieving by eatting it....One of the best fall bass baits a senko worked really slowly ...long pauses on the bottom......For trout call the local d.o.w. office and ask where they've stocked fish in the last couple weeks......A recently stocked lake or pond is a great skunk buster

 

[jobothehobo]

All the listed places plus some high mountain lakes that are remote or hike in only can hold big wild trout. You just have to research possibilities and see if the local biologist knows anything about the lakes. Sometimes they can be a wealth of info.

 

[chris]

A good skunk buster for me is red feather lakes about 40 min from Ft. Collins, not alot of big fish but if the woman needs action you should'nt have a problem catching lots of rainbos from shore. I take the wife and kids there for the same reason they want to catch fish.

 

[jobothehobo]

Taylor river just below the Taylor Res...HUGE!!!

Some very big but very tough trout. Try big tubes and curly tails instead of tiny flies and you will be surprised. Another great lure is a white custom jigs and spins shrimpo beneath a clear bubble. Caught some up over 10 pounds.

 

[fatfish]

Big brooders are being caught right now at Barbour Ponds. They are going around 20".

 

[epic]

I'd have to say any gold metal water... forced catch and release waters usually have large fish in them but its upto you to find them, and catch them.