fishing conditions
Waters Surrounding the Arkansas River Valley
In the interests of keeping Colorado wild, the list below is not exhaustive to the other waters we fish. For information on water not featured here, please call the shops for the latest intel.
SOUTH PLATTE “DREAM STREAM”
October 31, 2024
Flow | 149 CFS |
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A short drive from our Buena Vista location, the “Dream Stream” is the section of the South Platte River between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile Reservoirs. A high meadow tailwater fishery with a highly regulated flow and water temperature, deep cut banks amid sinuous oxbows, this stretch of water is home to rich populations of aquatic invertebrates and large resident fish that are both selective and spirited.
ANTERO RESERVOIR
October 31, 2024
Status | OPEN |
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Impounding the South Fork of the South Platte River, Antero Reservoir fills a shallow basin near Hartsel, Colorado. Often cited as one of most biologically productive stillwater fisheries in North America, trout resident to its waters feed on chironomids, calibaetis, damselflies, leeches, and one another, growing at rates that defy conventional biology and to a size that thrills anglers from throughout the region.
SPINNEY MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR
October 31, 2024
Status | OPEN |
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Set on the South Platte River between Antero and Eleven Mile Reservoirs, Spinney Mountain Reservoir is a highly productive fishery that routinely generates trout weighing five pounds or more. Known for its callibaetis and damselfly hatches, and an abundant population of scuds, trout grow quickly in these waters and respond well to both suspension nymphing and surface presentations, depending on the time of year and insect activity.
cottonwood lake
October 31, 2024
Status | OPEN |
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Cottonwood Lake, an impoundment about four miles up from the confluence of the South and Middle Forks of Cottonwood Creek, has a nice population of resident fish and is regularly stocked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The lake is well-suited to fishing from a float-tube, canoe, or kayak and there is a boat ramp adjacent to where the creek flows into the west end of the lake.
PTARMIGAN LAKE
October 31, 2024
Status | Probably frozen, or soon to be! |
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Just east of Jones Mountain on the Gladstone Ridge separating the Middle and South Forks of Cottonwood Creek, Ptarmigan Lake (about 12,000 ft) provides intrepid hikers with some exercise, spectacular scenery, and the chance at some significant high elevation cutthroats. With trails accessing it from both the north and south, Ptarmigan gets a fair bit of midsummer traffic. But for those able to hit it soon after ice-out, usually near the end of June, the lake provides some memorable days of fishing. Ptarmigan is also a good indicator lake – conditions there are generally reflective of other lakes of similar elevation in the middle Sawatch Range.
