Ice on the front range is starting to look like a hot auction item. So far we’ve got the “going once” call from the auctioneer. Sunday night the northern front range had high winds and the air temp never got below freezing. Did some looking the past few days, and saw small pockets of open water at St. Vrain, Union, Lon Hagler, and Boedecker. The cold snap coming in mid-week will help the ice hold on a little longer. The cold front is bringing along with it some good mountain snow. We are currently at 106% of the normal snowpack and 63% of the normal peak in the South Platte Basin.
For those dreaming of open water, there is good news about some of the lakes. Out along I-76 the open water at Prewitt has doubled near the inlet and Jumbo is almost completely full (still frozen), a great starting point to rebuild the fishery. Along the northern front range, the ice is breaking up at Carter and Horsetooth, both still have an ice sheet in the middle and you may have to adjust the shoreline you're fishing day to day, based on the wind direction. In the metro area, Barr Lake has started getting some water and has some open water near the inlet.
Lake levels still are going in a good direction at several lakes. Chatfield is continuing its slow rise. Carter and Horsetooth are coming up the quickest again, which I’m sure helped with the ice breaking up. Bear Creek has stabilized at its current level.
GIVEAWAYS!!!!
Want to thank those who’ve subscribed so far, the growth has been tremendous.
Going to give away two $25 Scheels gift cards!
The first gift card will be given away to one randomly selected subscriber who opened this email. So if you’re a subscriber and reading this you are entered for gift card #1.
The second gift card will be given away to a randomly selected person who shares NoCo Fishing News using the button right below. You can share by sending/texting a link to fellow anglers, sending it in a tweet, share it on facebook, or forward it to a friend via email. The odds of winning this card will be better for simply sharing.
Don’t miss the button and a second chance to win, it’s right above here in green!!
Both winners will be selected on Feb. 28th and notified by email.
CPW NEWS
I attended the Northeast Sportspersons Caucus last week here are a few angling-related things I took away from the meeting.
Glade Reservoir up near Fort Collins is progressing. Looks like construction should start in 2025. With it starting to fill in 2029.
Updated information on the Keep Colorado Wild Pass. This is the new parks pass attached to your vehicle registration. There will be a little CPW emblem on the registration card, this is what will have to be presented at the gate to show you have a pass. (Talking to some people on the ground, there is concern this may cause some added delay getting into the parks on the moderately crowded days). If you are like me and have a parks pass that expires before your vehicle registration expires, you will have to buy a new pass. Then once you get your KCWP you can go online to get a prorated refund for the remaining time on your pass. The refund would also apply if you have a current pass that extends past your vehicle renewal.
The next meeting is planned for August in the Loveland area. I’ll post details as the meeting gets set.
I’ve got some news on the boat ramps for a couple of the NoCo Lakes.
Boyd Lake
2023 ANS Inspection Hours
March (when open to boating): 8AM - 6PM, Decon: 9AM - 5PM
April: 7AM - 7PM, (Decon. 8AM - 6PM)
*May- Labor Day: 6AM - 8PM (Decon: 8AM - 7PM)
*September 6-30th: 7AM - 8PM (Decon: 8AM - 7PM)
October: 7AM - 7PM (Decon: 8AM - 6PM)
November: 7AM - 5PM (Decon: 8AM - 4PM)
Jackson Lake
The boat ramp will be opening on April 1, 2023. Who’s planning to be there on opening day?
Boedecker has installed an electric gate. It opens 1 hr before sunrise to sunset. Once you are in, you will be able to leave even if the gate is closed by driving up to the gate slowly.
FLP FISHING TIPS: Fish - Walleye, Saugeye, Sauger
*When referencing all 3 - walleye, saugeye, and sauger I will use WSS.
Colorado State Records:
Walleye - 18.8 lbs (7th largest state record in the US)
Saugeye - 10.88 lbs
Sauger - 3.38 lbs
Identification:
Here is a picture that does a good job showing the difference between the 3 species from Kansas Parks and Wildlife.
Unique Physical Characteristics:
WSS have large eyes that excel at seeing in low light. This means they are great nighttime feeders. While great night feeders, this does not limit their daytime feeding. They do prefer to find cover or structure that will provide shade to feed around during the day. (Jan. 31 Newsletter discusses the difference in cover and structure.)
Lots of canine-type teeth. These teeth are more like needles than knives, in that they have sharp points but not sides like pike or musky. Steel leaders aren’t needed when fishing for WSS.
Spawning Info:
Walleye peak spawning takes place in the spring with water temp ranges of 42-50 degrees. The two main factors triggering spawning are water temp and photoperiod (length of sunshine during that day). Most spawning activity takes place during the night. Walleyes prefer to spawn in 1-6 ft of water with a hard bottom or windswept rocks. Current will also draw fish, so river inlets or ditches coming into our lakes. Typically spawning in NoCo happens mid-March to late April - usually happening first in Denver and the NE Lakes with fish in Horsetooth and Carter being the last to spawn. Walleyes normally become sexually mature at 2-5 yrs old. The males typically mature 1 year before the females. This is the reason CPW has implemented an 18” minimum in our walleye brood lakes (Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and Pueblo) to ensure they get a couple of spawns in before possible harvest could legally happen.
Sauger peak spawning takes place at about 50 degrees. Becoming sexually mature at 3 to 4 years old. Prefer areas with moving current for spawning.
Saugeye is a sterile hybrid, so they do not successfully spawn. They will make similar movements to both walleye and sauger during the spawning period.
Annual Movements:
Walleye start moving to spawning areas during the late ice season. The spawning areas were talked about above. Post-spawn walleyes will usually move to mud flats and shallow areas with cover close to the spawning area. As the water starts to hit the mid to upper 50s walleyes start moving to shallow rocks, weeds, and wood - that have forage present (usually starting mid-May in CO). In late summer some walleyes will start to suspend in lakes with shad and/or smelt present. (typically around the 4th of July). As water temperatures start to drop back down to the mid to lower 60s (usually sometime in September) the walleye will start moving to their fall haunts - the last green weeds and structure with steep breaks. The suspended walleyes will continue until water temps hit in the 50s.
Saugers are similar to walleyes. Sauger do prefer moving current and muddier water year-round. They do not tend to suspend like walleyes.
Saugeye have similar movements to walleyes, they do tend to prefer muddier water like sauger. Saugeye will suspend in late summer in lakes with shad.
Forage:
Gizzard shad are the #1 WSS forage in NoCo - can be cyclical. Shad can be stressed by long ice cover during the winter. Changing water levels during a shad spawn can also reduce the shad numbers. (This has been seen at Chatfield and Boyd recently.)
Perch and panfish - often what WSS feed on in the weeds/shallows.
Invertebrates - especially post-spawn when water temps are 50-58 degrees.
Crawfish - not ideal for WSS to grow big, but WSS will feed on them during periods in some lakes.
Smelt is the key forage in Horsetooth - important to understand smelt daily movements to increase success fishing walleye in Horsetooth.
Some bigger walleye and saugeye will feed on stocker trout
FISHING FUNNIES