Rain, rain, and more rain - just as we think it’s over more rain. Longmont got thumped again last night. The lakes have been rising like crazy, so much that Cherry Creek has closed its boat ramps.
Here are some lake level updates: Cherry Creek is up 10 feet from before the storm, and it is starting to slowly drop; Chatfield is up 10 feet; Bear Creek is up 25 feet (this is according to the gauge. I have not verified); Lake Loveland is now full, the ditch going in is running 650 cfs this morning; water has started going into Boyd marina cove through the old pipe, rumor is the newer big inlet could start anytime; and I talked to a farmer friend out near Merino who said Prewitt is at the highest level he’s ever seen.
This week the fishing has been varied - those lakes that have risen quickly have fish on the move, and the lakes where the water levels have stayed pretty stable have been fishing good.
I made it out most of the days, with a variety of conditions. With the water turning on at Boyd, the white bass bite is really picking up. People are targeting the marina cove with white twisters, spoons, and flies. This bite should continue for a couple of weeks as the lake is filling. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are still being caught around cover, I would expect them to start pushing towards the shorelines as the lake rises and additional cover gets flooded. Walleyes are on the move - use presentations to cover water to find the active fish. It seems like they are on a spot one day and gone the next. Start searching out the shallows for walleye too. Some of the other lakes that have been more stable in water levels are seeing the walleyes really fire up with traditional trolling and bait presentations. On these lakes, leadcore has been working really well to catch numbers of fish with the chance at bigger fish.
A quick rundown on some of the lakes in the area.
The I-76 lakes - are starting to see some bites, I’d target Prewitt or Jackson right now.
Denver area - Cherry Creek - shore anglers and hand-launched craft should be taking advantage of the boat ramp closures. There will be walleyes in the shallows and no powerboat traffic. Chatfield - all fish are on the move. Look for fish up in the newly flooded areas and there are some suspended fish roaming the main lake. FYI - there is a big CWT tournament this weekend so there will be added fishing pressure, especially for walleyes.
North Front Range - Union - is fishing good, cover water to contact the walleyes, and wipers are starting to show up. Lon Hagler and Boedecker - both have white bass activity happening. Boyd - great for white bass, LMB and SMB are good around cover, and walleye are spotty. Horsetooth - look for smallmouth in the coves, walleye have wrapped up spawning and starting to see them in summer locations - flats along the main lake and in the coves, and the trout are still biting good. Ponds are fishing good - crappies are starting to wrap up spawning, LMB starting to move into the shallows. St. Vrain Blue Heron is producing some saugeye/walleye along with panfish if you are looking for a smaller body of water to launch your boat.
CPW NEWS
As stated above Cherry Creek boat ramps are both closed and the road around the south end was washed out. Check the park page on the CPW website to get the latest information.
North Sterling South Boat ramp will be opening Sat. May 20th for weekends. Check the hours for ANS on their Facebook page or website.
Trout stocking: In the Denver area - Thornton Gravel Pit #3, Standley Lake, Arvada, Chatfield; Firestone - Milavec Lake; Berthoud area - Carter, Pinewood; Fort Collins area - Douglas.
FLP FISHING TIPS: Raising and dropping water levels
With many of our front-range lakes rising quickly I figured it was a good time to talk about how to approach changing water levels.
Rising water levels typically cause fish to move to find the best conditions. This usually has the fish moving to the shallows and/or the current where the water is coming in. In the shallows, fish look for newly flood cover that provides a place to hide, this cover can also be mudlines on plain banks. The newly flooded areas act like a fertilizer for the lake, sparking plankton and bug life - this attracts small fish and big fish show up to eat.
When looking at current areas think of this as fishing a stream in the lake. Find the current seams where fish don’t have to expend extra energy to eat, they are waiting for food to get delivered to them. Like one of those Brazilian steak houses, that brings the skewers of meat to your table. Yum!!!
Rising water will also give a kickstart to spawning activities for those species getting close to spawning.
Falling water levels will cause fish to move out of the shallows, they fear being stranded in the shallows. Usually pulling out to the first major break or a channel with access to the deeper waters.
Water levels dropping will also postpone spawning activities, fish don’t want to put the effort into spawning and have their eggs left high and dry.
With both rising and falling water levels the more drastic the change the quicker the fish react. A lake rising or falling 2-3” every couple of days isn’t going to cause a quick change, whereas a change of 1 foot a day will send fish moving like the Flash chasing a villain.
One good way to check water levels is to place a rock or stick right at the edge of the water when you arrive. Check it during the day to give you a clue about what’s happening to the water levels.
Paying attention to these water level changes will help add pieces of information to determine where the fish will be and if they are on the move.
Good luck fishing this week!
FISHING FUNNIES