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Gore Creek
Report Date: 05/14/2012-
Reporter:
Flow Conditions:
Water Clarity: Clear
Current Fishing Conditions:
The Gore is an often overlooked winter gem. If you're headed to Vail to ski, toss in your fly fishing gear too. Pick your days wisely, especially now that winter has begun to show its face. Your best bet at finding open water is between Donovan Park Pavilion, upstream and through Lionshead Village. Just downstream of the gondola, western part of Lionshead, you will find a small sanitation plant that pumps warmwater back into the Gore. You can expect to find a higher percentage of feeding trout in the first 1/2 mile below this plant. Small midges, mayflies, flashworms and eggs on long fine tippets are the name of the game.
Seasonal Overview:
The Gore starts up high and drains both the Black Lakes, located at the summit of Vail Pass, and the Gore Range along the north side of I-70. Home to rainbows, browns, brookies, cutthroats and cuttbows the Gore is one of my all time favorite fisheries. This is due to its Gold Medal designation from Red Sand Stone Creek (Lionshead Village), down to its confluence with the Eagle. This Gold Medal stretch is home to numerous trout in the 16-19" range, with some that are even bigger. What's so cool about the Gore is the fact that it is best fished by sight. Tag teaming with a buddy is one way to really move a ton of fish. By utilizing the eyes of a friend that is perched at a higher vantage point allows for better drifts and less missed opportunities. With this Gold Medal designation comes more fishing pressure, so don't overlook what is just upstream of Lionshead and even way up in East Vail. Fishing through these stretches can oftentimes be better!
Other options, check out Black Gore Creek which comes out of the Black Lakes at the top of Vail Pass or East Gore Creek which comes from the Gore Range. Both of these fisheries are best found by heading East through East Vail on the S. Frontage road. Once you get to a point where I-70 goes back over the frontage road, park. Walk down the path through the field in a S.E. direction. This will take you to East Gore Creek. Fish up E. Gore Creek toward the campground, or follow it downstream to its confluence with Black Gore Creek. Once at Black Gore Creek you'll want to fish up. It will get a bit tight so be careful. This is 3 weight water, best fished with attractor dries.
Current Hatches: Midges, BWO, Eggs, Worms
Recommended Flies
Dries: Nymphs: Streamers:
Tips & Tricks
This is a sight fishery where stealth is paramount in your success to catching trout. When possible, act as if you were a predatory bird. Move slowly and methodically, looking for any tell tale sign of trout...whites of their opening mouths, red bands on rainbows, shadows, flashes, rise forms, etc. Pay close attention to the frontside of partially to fully submerged rocks/boulders. Actively feeding trout oftentimes "surf" the hydraulic pillow of water that is formed by the river moving over and around these boulders. These trout are especially easy targets. When in doubt, move. Covering water will increase your hook ups...don't be the guy nymphing a single run for 30 minutes. Bang...bang, and move.
If ice shelves, ice "bridges" and big snow drifts put a damper on your fishing...head to the Sanitation Plant located between Lionshead and the Cascade Village. This Sanitation Plant pumps out some pretty warm water during the winter months and the fish know it. Fishing can be outright insane when it's dumping snow and arctic cold. Bring a set of nose plugs...it can be a bit stinky.
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