Trouts Fly Fishing

Reporter: Trout's Staff

Flow Conditions:

Water Clarity: Clear

Current Fishing Conditions:

May Fishing Report

With flows hovering just under 40cfs, 11-Mile Canyon should be fishing decent for the near future.  Lower flows will make for spooky fish, but there should be consistant hatches of Baetis, BWO's, Midges and some early caddis which will at least have the fish feeding.  Attractor patters like Scuds and Eggs will also work well, particularly as the resident rainbow trout continue their annual spawn.  Nymphing will be the most productive method of fishing, primarily during the early morning and evening hours.  As air temps begin to warm during the day, expect to see good hatches and fish beginning to look up.  With the warmer temps of spring starting to take hold, be sure and fish the entire river as fish are beginning to spread out from the deep pools and runs.  Riffles and faster moving water can be ideal spots to fish, especially when bugs are hatching.

5/17/13 Update:  flows remain on the low side coming out of 11-Mile reservoir, and we don't expect to see things change much until after runoff when reservoir levels are more significant.  Fishing will remain productive despite low flows, just remember to focus on stealth and presentation.

Insects and Natural Food Sources

Baetis will become more and more the focus in a fish’s diet as we get into the month. Obviously midges too. Little Black Micro Stoneflies are also flying around these days and the fish will definitely take advantage of these as a food source. As fish begin their spawning, eggs will also make up a portion of their diet.  

Recommended Flies

Parachute Adams sz. 16-22, Parachute BWO sz. 16-22, Hatch Matcher BWO sz. 16-20, Tailwater Humpy sz.16-20, Brooks Sprout Midge sz. 18-22, Trico Emerger sz. 18-20, Scuds sz. 16-18, Worms sz. 16-20, Pheasant Tail sz. 18-22, Copper John sz. 18-20, RS2 sz. 18-22, WD-40 sz. 18-22, Black Beauty sz. 18-22, Mercury Baetis sz. 18-20

River Information

11-Mile Canyon is a picturesque secion of the South Platte River located just outside of Lake George, CO.  As one of Colorado's State Parks, thre is an entrence fee to fish this section of river, so be sure to purchase your day pass when entering the canyon.  Accessible by dirt road, there is an abundance of fishable water in 11-Mile Canyon.  While the lower river will fish well, it is prone to ice during the winter months, and tends to hold smaller fish than the upper river.  As you get closer to the dam, water temps and insect life will increase, creating an ideal habitat to grow larger fish.  Because this section of the South Platte River is located below 11-Mile Reservoir, all flows are dictated by reservoir releases.  The upside of this is that this river is fishable 365 days a year.  

Seasonal Overview:

 

Great fishing in Eleven Mile Canyon with less crowds due to all the hype the Dream Stream has been receiving. The Blue Wing Olives and Midges are thick and will hatch throughout the day, but when there is cloud cover expect the BWO's to be off the chain and make all the fish look up and eat dries and emergers.

 

DRIES: Parachute Adams 16-22, Parachute BWO 16-22, Hatch Matcher BWO and PMD 16-20, Tailwater Humpy 16-20, Brooks Sprout Midge 18-22, Trico Emerger 18-20

Nymphs: Scuds, Worms, Pheasant Tail 18-22, Copper John 18-20, RS2 18-22, WD-40 18-22, Black Beauty 18-22, Mercury Baetis 18-20

STREAMERS: Wooly Buggers, Slump Busters, Clousers, Belly Ache Minnows, Sculpzilla's

Current Hatches:

Recommended Flies

Dries: Nymphs: Streamers:

Tips & Tricks

Work as much water as you can until you find where the fish are holding and feeding.

 

Recommended Products:

Photos

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