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 PointI 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 CoveI 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 SmoothShortly 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
The lack of wind may have been the problem. A lake I was fishing last week was slow until the wind picked up and the fish moved into shore. I did the hand twist, which I never do, and got a 18 inch Rainbow. later I was on shore and saw a nice Rainbow cruising the shore eating bugs on the water 6 feet from shore. This is typical of a high moutain lake than may be lacking in hatches. The fish look for terrestials when the wind blows them onto the lake. Thanks for your reports even when the success is less.