Elk River – 06/30/2026

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Time: 3:15PM – 4:30PM

Location: National Forest

Elk River 06/30/2026 Photo Album

Jane and I completed a long but beautiful hike on Tuesday morning, and that opened a short window for some fly fishing. The streams that we passed on our way to our hike were flowing at decent levels, so we stopped at a dirt parking lot, and I geared up and assembled my Sage R8 four weight.

Prime Lie

Once I was prepared, I hiked for .4 mile, and then I cut down a relatively steep bank to the river. Once I arrived, I realized that it was flowing above the level that I am accustomed to, when I fish this same stream in early August. The air temperature was in the low seventies, and I was rather tired after our 5.8 mile hike and the added .4 mile to my chosen river starting point.

Silvery Brook Trout

I began my quest for trout with a peacock hippie stomper, a beadhead hares ear nymph and a beadhead bright green caddis pupa. The hares ear and hippie stomper produced two small fish each in the early going, but the caddis pupa was ineffective. I only used it because it was attached to a length of tippet that I used for my final dropper section. Since the caddis pupa was not effective, I swapped it for a black sunk ant. On our hike I spotted numerous large black ants crawling on tree branches and logs, so it was a good bet that they frequently blundered into the water.

Just Above the Angled Log

The ant never produced a fish, but the hippie stomper generated quite a few refusals, so I decided to counter with a double dry set up. I retained a hippie stomper but switched to a purple body, and then I added a light gray size 14 deer hair caddis. These two flies remained on my line for the remainder of my time on the water, and I built the fish count from four to nine. Two of the last five landed fish snatched the light gray deer hair caddis, and the remainder smashed the purple hippie stomper.

Pleased with This Catch

The section of the stream that I covered was narrow with a high gradient, and this made wading quite a chore, as I was forced to scramble along the edge and in some cases bash through thick vegetation to advance upstream. After 5.8 miles on the trail, I was absolutely bushed, and I began to be concerned about my safety. I found a steep but relatively clear path that enabled me to climb the steep bank back to the hiking trail and returned to the parking lot.

Brown Trout Lair

Jane and I agreed to meet at the lot at 5:00PM, and I was a bit early, so I crossed the dirt road and hiked a short distance below the bridge. I found a nice deep shelf pool, where the stream curled along a jumble of logs, and I made a series of downstream drifts in the slow water next to the logs. On the second pass I noticed a fish that flashed at the hippie stomper, but on the third float the fish smacked the dry attractor. This fish topped off my day at nine, and it was a very fine brown trout of twelve inches.

I marched back to the parking lot, and Jane was present, so I removed all my gear, and we headed back to camp. I fished for 1.25 hour on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, and I landed nine trout. One was the twelve inch brown I just described. I also netted two shiny brook trout that probably measured ten inches. Two small browns just over six inches and four small brook trout in the six to eight inch range capped off my count. The river was higher than I was used to, and the fish were smaller, but I actually experienced decent success for only being on the stream for 1.25 hours. I would not mind returning in a couple weeks, but I suspect that will not be in the cards.

Fish Landed: 9

Steamboat Lake – 06/29/2026

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Time: 7:45PM – 8:30PM

Location: Meadow Point

Steamboat Lake 06/29/2026 Photo Album

Jane and I drove from our campsite at Arnica Loop to Meadow Point after dinner. I was not certain I would fish, or whether I would simply observe the beauty of the area. When we arrived, the wind was blasting quite a bit with a chill. Initially Jane and I attempted to sit on a bench and observe the cove, but the wind forced us back in the car. After fifteen minutes, the wind died to a breeze, and I made my move.

Meadow Point

I skipped  waders and simply wore my front pack, backpack, and net. I rigged my Sage One five weight and slowly strolled through the tall grass to the edge of the lake. Three anglers were below me toward the main body of the lake, and they were flinging long casts with fly rods.

The Cove

I began with a peacock hippie stomper, a beadhead hares ear nymph, and an olive bead midge larva. I made short and longs casts in various directions and allowed the flies to drift in the wind, but my efforts were not rewarded. After a fair trial I replaced the midge larva with an olive balanced leech, and while this fly was present on my line, I executed some hand twist and slow strip retrieves. Once again futility was the outcome.

Mirror Smooth

Shortly after 8:00PM the wind subsided, and the surface of the lake became mirror smooth. I switched to a double dry caddis approach with a size 14 light gray caddis and a size 16 olive-brown caddis. Some sporadic rises commenced, and I sprayed casts to the vicinity, but once again I failed to instigate action. At 8:45 as dusk settled into darkness, I stripped in my line and returned to the car. Once again Steamboat Lake Issued me a fishless evening.

Fish Landed: 0

South Platte River – 06/23/2026

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Time: 10:30AM – 2:00PM

Location: Eleven Mile Canyon

South Platte River 06/23/2026 Photo Album

I was disappointed with my day on Monday, June 22, and I was reluctant to spend another day on the Arkansas River, even though I was strategically camped right next to it. I pondered my options and concluded that my chances of success were much higher on the South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon. The last time I looked, it was sluicing along at 100 CFS, and in fact, now that I looked at the graph, it was in the 80 CFS range on Tuesday. The South Platte River became my destination on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Of course, June 23 was my wedding anniversary, so I was conscious of the need to be home at a reasonable time.

Mt. Princeton

Before I leave the Arkansas River, however, I should comment that I enjoyed a beautiful evening. The campground was less that half full and, therefore, relatively peaceful compared to the normal June whitewater rafting crowd. After dinner I grabbed my stool, iPad, and a dessert snack and moved to the beach at the end of the boat launch ramp. I sat and read my latest book for a couple hours, as the sun set behind the collegiate range. Between 8:15PM and 8:45PM the daylight waned, and the river came alive with rising fish. The surface action was very sporadic and not consistent enough to spur me to return to the car for my fly fishing gear, but the activity was a far cry from the doldrums experienced during the afternoon, Caddis appeared to be the main attraction for the eagerly feeding fish.

Great Start

After packing up my tent and gear on Tuesday morning, I made the one hour and thirty minute drive to my chosen spot in Eleven Mile Canyon. The temperature, as I prepared to fish, was in the low seventies, and it was clear that Tuesday would be another hot one. I fit together my Sage R8 four weight and departed for the river. I was reluctant to use my Sage R8 early in the season on some of the larger rivers, in case I tangled with larger fish that required the extra leverage of my five weight, but what a pleasure it was to cast the R8.

Promising Pool

I began the day with a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 olive-brown body deer hair caddis fished in a tandem dry fly rig. The results were immediate. I landed four trout in the first pool, and all snagged the trailing caddis. Yes, three were on the small side, but one brown stretched to twelve inches. Compared to Monday, however, the action was red hot.

Evidence of a Double

The Larger of the Double Featured

Before I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, I built the fish count to nine. Among my landed fish was a double; I hooked and landed two fish at once. The larger brown of thirteen inches smashed the hippie stomper, and while I played it to my net, a small brown trout slashed at and grabbed the trailing deer hair caddis. It is always interesting, when this rare feat unfolds, and I believe even rarer, when it happens with two dry flies.

Riffled Surface

After lunch I continued upstream, and the hippie stomper became a bit of a distraction, as refusals to the larger lead fly became frequent. I made a change and placed a size 14 light gray deer hair caddis in the upper position and trailed the size 16 olive-brown version of the deer hair caddis. This ploy produced positive results for a bit, and the fish count climbed to twelve, before fish began to look and drop or refuse the caddis. What now?

A Fine Rainbow Joins the Party

During the early afternoon I noticed a few size 16 mayflies, which I assumed were pale morning duns. Maybe the fish were attracted to the gray body of the caddis, but then retreated, when they failed to observe an upright wing? I replaced the olive-brown caddis with a size 16 light gray comparadun.

Looking Ahead

The rest is history. I increased the fish count from twelve to twenty-one, before I quit at 2:00PM. It seemed that the average size of the trout landed during the pale morning dun event were larger. A fourteen inch brown trout was the prize of the day, and two rainbows in the thirteen inch range graced my net as well. The trout consumed the comparadun with confidence.

Beast of the Day

By 1:30PM the PMD action subsided, but I continued prospecting with the caddis and comparadun tandem hoping that some opportunistic trout would search for stragglers. Alas, that was not to be, and I ended the day with twenty-one after a futile last half hour. The temperature, as I exited the canyon, was 85 degrees, so I suspect that the bright sun and warming water temperatures sent the trout to the bottom for coolness.

Rainbow Trout Lurking

Tuesday was a fine day on the South Platte River. I landed twenty-one trout, and all responded to dry flies. Caddis and pale morning duns were the ticket. Camping near Buena Vista proved strategic, as it allowed me to arrive earlier, than when I commute from Denver, and the best part of the day was late morning and early afternoon. I am very concerned over the water situation in Colorado, as fishing levels compare to early August in the middle of June. Stay tuned.

Fish Landed: 21

 

Arkansas River – 06/22/2026

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Time: 11:15AM – 4:00PM

Location: Buena Vista area

Arkansas River 06/22/2026 Photo Album

I was rather excited to make my first fly fishing and camping trip of 2026. The excitement lasted, until I broke for lunch at 11:45PM with three small brown trout to my credit. Monday, June 22 was mostly a dud from a fishing perspective. The camping was fun.

Starting Point

The temperature registered in the low seventies, as I set out at 11:00AM, but once the few clouds cleared, and the sun did its work, the temperature quickly climbed to the eighties. The flows were probably in the 300 CFS range, and the river was very clear. I certainly thought that I was destined for a decent day on the Arkansas River.

Foam Is Home

As mentioned earlier in this report, I landed three small brown trout between 11:15AM and 11:45AM. Little did I know that this would be the best action of the day. I began with a tan pool toy hopper, a 20 incher, and a hares ear nymph on my Loomis two piece five weight. All three fish grabbed the beadhead hares ear nymph. Quite a few refusals to the hopper persuaded me to change tactics after lunch.

Small Jewel

I scuttled the dry/dropper and migrated to a double dry. The first duo was a peacock hippie stomper trailing a light gray deer hair caddis. The hippie stomper increased the quantity of refusals, but it did contribute one sub twelve inch brown to the fish count. Another trout slashed a yellow sally after I replaced the caddis, and I boosted the fish count to five with the largest catch possibly measuring nine inches.

Promising Water Ahead

The refusals convinced me that dry flies were the ticket, if only I could find what they wanted. I chose the path of cycling through flies, and it was not pretty. Flies that maintained a presence on my line were a size 12 yellow stimulator, an olive-brown stimulator, an olive-brown deer hair caddis, a yellow sally, a Jake’s gulp beetle, a classic Chernobyl ant, and a tan mini chubby Chernobyl. Some were totally ignored, and a few initiated looks and refusals. It was rough. Even the looks and refusals came from small fish. Where were all the decent fish in the river?

Best Fish of the Day

At 2:00PM I encountered a couple and a young girl. The man tubed down the river, and the girl appeared to be readying an inflatable raft. I chose to exit and hiked back to the car. The poor fishing did not justify circling around the tubers to undisturbed water.Center Run

I kept my waders on and drove to another favorite spot in the area, but the change of scenery had no impact on my bad luck. I revisited the dry/dropper for a short while using the tan mini chubby with an iron sally, but this seemed even more futile than the double dry approach.

Yellow Sally

I returned to a black body elk hair caddis and an olive-brown deer hair caddis, and futility continued. The black caddis created a few looks and refusals, but I quit in frustration at 4:00PM and returned to my campsite.

Prickly Pears Were in Bloom Everywhere

Gnarly Beauty

Monday was a tough day on the Arkansas River. I landed five small fish and never dialed in a productive fly, and the fish that I caught or enticed to look at my flies seemed to be smaller than average. I am already planning to visit a different river on Tuesday.

Fish Landed: 5

Eagle River – 06/17/2026

Time: 11:15AM – 3:00PM

Location: Between Wolcott and Avon

Eagle River 06/17/2026 Photo Album

After touring the Rocky Mountains on Tuesday, I decided to return to flowing water on Wednesday. Originally I planned on taking a break from fishing on Wednesday while returning to a stream on Friday, but another personal commitment blocked that intention. Wednesday was my final chance to fish for the week, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Upstream from Start

I evaluated three options; the same three that I tend to gravitate to. The South Platte River in Eleven Mile Canyon was a strong option with flows lowered to 110 CFS, now that Antero Reservoir had been drained. The Arkansas River was tumbling along at a very favorable level in Bighorn Sheep Canyon at 330 CFS. Finally, the Eagle River near Avon was flowing at 300 CFS, which is very low compared to historical levels at this time of year, but actually a bit high compared to my take on ideal. I decided on the Eagle River, because the window of opportunity could close quickly for the freestoner given the hot weather system over Colorado. My thinking was also influenced by the string of excellent days that I experienced on the Eagle River earlier in the 2026 season.

Scored

I managed to get an early start, but traffic conditions did not cooperate. Heavy volume created bottlenecks in the Denver metro area, and then two crashes forced stoppages, as I ascended Interstate 70 in the Genesee area. Adding to my frustration was a twenty minute stall at the top of Vail Pass due to rock scaling. All of these situations extended my drive by thirty minutes and negated my early start.

Comma Formation

In spite of my traffic bad luck, I arrived at my chosen destination and prepared to fish. The temperature was in the upper seventies already at 10:30AM. I assembled my Sage One five weight and hiked a short distance to the river and then followed a pathway down the river a ways, before I cut down a bank. To begin my day I tied a tan chubby Chernobyl to my line and added an iron sally and bright green caddis pupa. Reports I read announced that caddis were present and attracting the attention of the fish population.

A Nice Run Ahead

Well, the caddis failed to generate interest, so I swapped it for a brown perdigon. I tied brown perdigons over the winter to imitate pale morning dun nymphs, and the fly shop reports informed me that pale morning duns were starting to hatch. I broke for lunch at 11:45AM, and I only had one temporary hook up to show for my efforts.

Took Me Through Some Rapids

After lunch I continued to work my way up the river, but the flies were not creating action, so I made an adjustment. I lengthened the leader between the chubby and the top nymph to four feet, and I swapped the iron sally for a green-black Pat’s rubber legs and replaced the perdigon with a hares ear nymph. This move paid dividends, when I connected with two substantial fish; however, both escaped after a very brief battle. Finally a fourteen inch brown trout grabbed the hares ear nymph, and I assumed that the puzzle was solved.

Home of Nice Brown Trout

In spite of my newfound optimism, another lull occurred, as I covered some very attractive runs and pools with only unproductive casts to show for my effort. By 1:00PM I noticed some pale morning duns in the air, so I switched the hares ear for a salvation nymph,. This move paid dividends, as I moved the fish count from one to five over the remainder of my time on the river. This is a relatively low fish count for me, but the quality of the fish was outstanding. For the last forty-five minutes I switched to a double dry featuring a peacock hippie stomper and size 16 cinnamon comparadun. I noticed sporadic rises, and I thought perhaps I could generate interest in the PMD dry fly imitation. Early on after the change in approach, a couple decent fish refused the comparadun, but I never succeeded in landing a trout on one of the dry flies.

Turned Around

Two fifteen inch browns rested in my net as well as the fish of the day…a fat eighteen inch rainbow. All of the afternoon fish grabbed the salvation nymph. Some responded to a dead drift, and several reacted to a swing and lift.

Another Fine Brown Trout

By 3:00PM I bumped into a trio of anglers 75 yards upstream, so I exited the river and hiked back to the car. Although the fish count was low, I appreciated the size of the fish, and I was challenged to solve the riddle of the hatch. I also noted a few golden stoneflies and yellow sallies, but caddis were virtually absent. Hopefully I can return to the Eagle again before the heat and lower flows make it off limits.

Fish Landed: 5

 

Curtain Ponds – 06/16/2026

Time: 2:15PM – 4:30PM

Location: Ponds near Copper Mountain

Curtain Ponds 06/16/2026 Photo Album

As luck would have it, I would pass the Curtain Ponds on my return drive to Denver. I fished there numerous times with decent success, albeit small brook trout, but I was in need of a confidence boost, so I stopped there.

Near the Beginning

My rod was rigged with the slumpbuster and black leech, so I made a few casts with the double streamer in one of the ponds, but I was concerned that the flies would sink and snag in the aquatic growth, since the ponds are fairly shallow at many locations. I removed the streamers and moved to a double dry with a peacock hippie stomper in the first position and a size 14 stimulator trailing.

Riffled Surface

Once again the wind was gusting with abandon, and I had to position myself to avoid casting into the wind. The hippie stomper and stimulator enticed a wave of refusals, so I downsized the stimulator to a size 16 deer hair caddis. Once again refusals ruled, but I did manage to end the skunk and pulled three colorful brook trout of eight inches into my net. They all crushed the hippie stomper, and I was bewildered with why a few fish ate it, and the majority rejected it.

Lovely Colors

I speculated that perhaps a midge larva dangled below the hippie stomper might be effective with the constant wave action, so I replaced the deer hair caddis with a size 22 olive zebra midge. The olive midge never produced, but as I mentioned the hippie stomper yielded some positive results, allowing the fish count to reach three.

Along the Bank

I stood on the bank and pondered the situation. As I stood there, blue damsel flies fluttered about in great numbers. It seemed kind of early for damsels to hatch at the high elevation, but the evidence said that it already happened. I scanned the reeds along the pond for olive colored nymphs, but I never saw any. Nevertheless, I replaced the olive zebra with an olive balanced leech with no bead. This fly can also imitate a damsel nymph.

Spectacular Scene

I turned my attention to the next door pond, and suddenly I began to generate results. Over the remainder of the afternoon I landed an additional twelve brook trout to up my total to fifteen on the day. It was a much appreciated salvage job. For some reason the fish in the next pond were far more responsive to the hippie stomper than the first pond that I fished.

Easily Best of the Day

It seemed that a fish quickly reacted to my cast or the flies failed to attract attention. I adopted the approach of recasting in a fan from my position and ceased waiting and counting down and stripping. Two of the landed brook trout nabbed the trailing damsel nymph. I would have thought that they responded to movement via a slow hand twist retrieve, but that was not the case. They attacked the damsel, as soon as it entered the water. All the other brook trout hammered the hippie stomper, and of course refusals remained an issue, although the ratio of landed fish to refusals improved measurably.

Rich with Vegetation

Fifteen fish in a bit more than two hours of fishing is respectable. The wind remained a significant nuisance, and the fish were small with most being in the eight to nine inch range. I did land a gorgeous and colorful eleven inch brookie near the end, and that was very rewarding.

Fish Landed: 15

Black Lake – 06/16/2026

Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Location: Eastern end of Black Lake

Black Lake 06/16/2026 Photo Album

I abandoned Clinton Gulch and decided to explore the Black Lakes at the top of Vail Pass. It was only a short drive back to Interstate 70 and then up the eastern side of Vail Pass to reach the Black Lakes. I read about them in the Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Easy Access Mountain Lakes, and it seemed like a decent nearby alternative.

I arrived at 12:30 and parked in a dirt lot high above the lake and consumed my lunch. I actually drove past the lake looking for the second one, but my path was blocked by a gate across the road below the first Black Lake, so I turned around and settled in the upper lot.

A View of Black Lake

The wind was gusting furiously, but I grabbed my already strung rod from Clinton Gulch and carefully slid down the steep bank and crossed a tiny inlet creek to arrive on the south side of the lake. The water was low and revealed a muddy beach, and I carefully walked across the packed mud to a small point.

Once again the wind was blasting from the west and creating waves and small whitecaps on the surface. I tossed the three fly dry/dropper across the wind and allowed the flies to float with the direction of the wind, and I persisted with this approach for ten minutes, before I deemed it unproductive.

Perhaps the fish were deeper, and I needed to strip streamers? I reconfigured my line with an olive slumpbuster and trailed a black beadhead leech. I spent an additional ten minutes stripping the streamers using forty foot casts, but I never felt a bump. My confidence was shot, and I was in a state of frustration. The book said the lake was mainly home to stocked rainbows, and I never saw the Black Lakes on stocking reports, so I was essentially fishing for holdovers. I deemed my probability of catching a fish low, so I once again called it quits and climbed the steep bank back to the car.

I am not sure I would return to the Black Lakes, although I am curious to know where the second lake is. I suspect one needs to park above the gate and hike down the cycling road to encounter Black Lake number two. It was an interesting exploratory detour, but I was still fishless. I decided to try a third option.

Fish Landed: 0

Clinton Gulch Reservoir – 06/16/2026

Time: 10:30AM – 11:30AM

Location: Toward inlet

Clinton Gulch Reservoir 06/16/2026 Photo Album

I was feeling pretty good after undergoing a dreaded medical procedure on Monday morning, and I was finally able to focus forward. My last day of fishing was a huge disappointment, as I explored Evergreen Lake and Boulder Creek and landed a total of two fish on the day.

For Tuesday I decided to return my attention to lakes. I pulled my Flyfisher’s Guide to Colorado’s Easy Access Mountain Lakes book off the shelf and began perusing the options. I settled on Clinton Gulch Reservoir. I had my eye on this lake for several years now after reading about it in the book, and I figured the warmer than normal spring and low snowpack made it a logical choice for a mid-June visit. There was one factor, however, I failed to consider. Read on.

Looking West

I made the drive in just short of two hours, and it was 57 degrees in the parking lot, so I slid into my fleece hoodie and layered it with my raincoat. I thought I remembered reading that the best spot to fish was near the inlet, so I began my hike. After a mile of rolling terrain, I could see the inlet creek, so I cut down to the narrow end of the lake fed by the creek. I began fishing roughly fifty yards before the inlet.

My location was quite open and the wind was whipping small waves. I began my search for fish with an amber chubby Chernobyl, salvation nymph, and olive perdigon. I sprayed casts repeatedly and moved toward the feeder creek while allowing the flies to drift with the wind. I am disappointed to report that I experienced nothing but a tired arm from casting for forty-five minutes.

The Inlet Area

I decided to check out the lake at the entry point of the creek to see, if I could spot any fish. None were visible in the lake proper, but the riffles in the creek were loaded with spawning cutthroats. It is unsportsmanlike to fish to spawning fish, so I stripped in my flies and hooked them to my rod guide and began the return hike. Judging from the number of footprints next to the creek with spawning fish, there are quite a few unsportsmanlike anglers in our sport.

I thought I would resume fishing, if I spotted rises or fish along the edge of the lake on my return hike, but neither of these conditions arose, so I arrived at the parking lot and planned my next move. I would not mind returning to Clinton Gulch Reservoir when spawning season ends.

Fish Landed: 0

Boulder Creek – 06/10/2026

Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Location: Boulder Canyon

Boulder Creek 06/10/2026 Photo Album

I departed Evergreen Lake and made the drive north to Boulder and then west to Boulder Canyon. Upon my arrival I quickly munched my lunch, and then I pulled on my waders and wading boots. Remember I was not allowed to wade at Evergreen Lake, so I wore my jeans to fish there. My rod was already strung with the three fly dry/dropper combination from the lake, so I was prepared to fish by 1:00PM.

First and Only

The creek was flowing along rather briskly at 84 CFS, and it was obvious that the fly shop advice to fish the soft seams and areas behind current blocks was the key to success. The water was stained somewhat, so after ten minutes with not response from the fish, I decided to go deeper. I replaced the hippie stomper with a tan mini chubby Chernobyl for enhanced buoyancy, and for nymphs I opted for an olive-black Pat’s rubber legs and a Frenchie.

Displayed

I stayed with these flies for the one hour on the creek, and I moved fairly rapidly upstream and poked all the slow spots behind boulders and along the banks. I experienced three temporary hookups and landed one ten inch brown trout. The landed brown grabbed the Pat’s rubber legs. The number of spots that I deemed worthy of casts was limited, so I jumped from location to location and progressed .4 mile in an hour. That was fast progress.

Productive Spot

By 2:00PM I concluded that the pace of fishing was not about to change dramatically, and I needed to be home to assist Jane in preparation for our dinner, so I called it a day. The wind was once again brutal, and that circumstance along with the high water created a very challenging fly fishing situation. Once again I recorded one fish in one hour. In short, Wednesday was not an outstanding or even fair day of fly fishing. My close by options are rather limited, so I plan to take a brief break, before I embark on a longer trip to more promising water.

Fish Landed: 1

Evergreen Lake – 06/10/2026

11:00AM – 12:00PM

Location: Shoreline opposite Bear Creek

Evergreen Lake 06/10/2026 Photo Album

After a fair day of fly fishing on the Arkansas River on Tuesday, I was averse to making a long drive to quench my fishing thirst on Wednesday. In fact, Jane and I were hosting a dinner with friends, so I needed to return home by 4:00PM. This precluded a long drive, so I began to consider local options. Boulder Creek was chugging along at 84 CFS, and the fly shop reports suggested that results could be obtained by fishing the slow areas behind current breaks. The Big Thompson was a steady 125 CFS, and I fished that before at that level, although it was not pretty.

Lake trips were missing from my itinerary in 2026, so I checked the DOW fish stocking report. I was hoping that perhaps Pine Valley Ranch Lake had been recently stocked, but the only reference cited a stocking in April. Evergreen Lake popped up as a relatively local choice, and it was stocked last week according to the report. In past years I considered exploring Evergreen Lake, so it became my destination.

I was unfamiliar with the layout of Evergreen Lake and the park that contains it, so when I arrived, I headed to the large parking lot at the western end. There were spots available in the outer lot, but I gambled and checked out the parking lot closest to the lake and lucked into a nice space. I researched the lake ahead of time, and I learned that wading and swimming were not permitted, so I geared up minus my waders and wading boots.

Evergreen Lake was a hive of activity, and the warm June day brought out a swarm of kayakers and stand up paddleboarders (SUP’s). As I prepared to fish, I heard the constant din of pumps inflating the recreational water devices. I found it a bit odd that wading and swimming were not allowed, but kayaking and paddle boarding were.

I had no ideas where to begin fishing. The area along Bear Creek Road and Bear Creek look very interesting, although there were buoys strung along the entire shoreline, and it appeared that waders were desirable given the swampy shoreline. I could see a cluster of anglers along the south shore, so I set out in that direction. I followed a worn path along the inlet, but no fishing signs were posted there. When I got to the end of the dock area, I climbed over a small stone wall and moved onto a dirt path which quickly ascended a steep hill. Once I summited the top, I followed the path high above the lake, and then eventually I was able to cut down a path to a flat grassy area that protruded into the lake. A few fishermen were present in this area.

I decided to give this area a try. I knotted a peacock hippie stomper to my line and then added a salvation nymph and a beadhead hares ear nymph. I cast the three fly dry/dropper into the small cove on the east side of the point and waited. The wind kicked up and created some small waves, and I was fortunate that the wind direction was angled from left to right thus not impacting my backcast or forward cast substantially.

Kayaks, SUP’s and swan boats cycled by in waves, and not knowing where the fish were stocked, or the most productive spots made the entire venture seem rather futile. I allowed the flies to sit motionless for thirty to sixty seconds, and then I executed quick strips with pauses in between. I followed this routine two or three times, and I took a few steps to the right and repeated in order to cover the water.

Single Fish from Evergreen Lake

On the fourth such cast, the hippie stomper suddenly disappeared, and I quickly lifted the rod and felt the throb of a live fish. Wow! I could not believe my good fortune. The fish put up a decent fight, but I brought it to shore and netted a twelve inch rainbow trout. Of course, I was without my waders, but I needed to kneel to remove the fly and snap a photo, so I did so, and I immediately grimaced, as I felt both my knees soak up moisture from the soggy grass next to the lake.

Location of Solitary Fish Landed

I released the rainbow and continued along the shoreline toward a wooden boardwalk. No more fish savored my flies, so I stripped in my flies and mounted the boardwalk to explore more of the lake. My vision penetrated rather deep into the steep drop off while overhead on the boardwalk, but I never spotted a fish. The other end of the boardwalk delivered me on to another point, although this one was smaller that the previous, and several anglers were already positioned in the area. I found a spot above the group of fishermen, and I once again sprayed casts into the lake. The wind was once again ridiculous, but the water dropped off quickly, so this scenario did not require lengthy casts.

Looking Back at the Main Parking Area

After ten minutes without any action, I once again moved eastward to another open area with a precipitous drop off. The wind was gusting, and my flies were ignored, and I became disenchanted with the entire scene, so I decided to call it a day at Evergreen Lake. In an effort to salvage the day, I decided to migrate north to Boulder Creek in Boulder Canyon. The fly shop reports provided some optimism, and I decided to test it out.

One fish in an hour of fishing was not great, but I justified it as an R&D project. I probably would not return, unless I obtained better information on where to fish with a higher likelihood of success.

Fish Landed: 1