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View Full Version : Fishing around Denver early September



gitt
07-17-2013, 09:19 PM
Greetings,

Looking for day trips within two hours drive of Denver for the second week in September timeframe. Better half has training classes and just wants evening company. With a low tolerance to alcohol, I can only sample so many brew pubs during the day before landing in the pokey. Better off standing in a river and waving a stick for a week. South West has easy fares and two bags free. If the misses gets lodging at the training facility, will have access to a rental car for daily exploration. Was thinking of packing a 4 and 6 wt. Moving water is preferred over lakes as checking a floatation device would be pushing my luck. Any and all information is appreciated. A point in the right direction is all I ask. Look forward to your responses and suggestions. Thanks.

mems
07-18-2013, 12:55 AM
Aloha Gitt, lots of good water around Denver. I was fortunate enough to get to fish private water on Arrowhead ranch just outside of Fairplay. It is 1:45 from Denver and is the headwaters of the South Platte. Plenty of nice browns and bows and a couple of trophy ponds with some big brookies. You can google their website. They are a private club, but do offer fishing classes. I thought it was pretty good fishing and less crowded than some other places like the frying pan. good luck, and Gitt er done, Mems

Mr F
07-18-2013, 08:41 AM
Hi Gitt

I recently moved here from the Bay Area. So far most of my fishing has been closer to the Boulder area, but here are a few options for you:

Bear Creek near Morrison CO - nice small stream with some big browns. Last yeah it was closed due to low water. Hopefully it will be open in sept? Lair of the Bear State Park gets crowded, but I've had good luck there. You can also find public water up and down stream. This is 3 wt water. I think (think) that this is the closest trout water to Denver.

Clear Creek above Golden is a ton of fun. Head up the canyon (highway US 6) and pick a pullout. You can fish it all the way to the headwaters if you choose to. A 4/5 wt with a hopper dropper rig is always a good choice here.

Boulder Creek in and above the city of Boulder is quite productive but the fish tend to be on the small side. 12 inches is a trophy here. I fish it mainly out of convenience (I can walk to the river) but if you're just here for a quick visit you can do better on other waters. If you do decide to fish it, head up the canyon from Boulder, find a turnout and work the pocket water. It's fishable all the way to Nedderland CO. I'd estimate a 45 min drive from DT Denver. This is 3wt water and the fish aren't selective.

The Big Thompson (The Big T to the locals) below Estes Park is a great piece of river. The fish can get selective but it's still a ton of fun. Flows vary so check before you go. I've found 110 cfs to be optimal. I usually use a 4wt. Drive to Estes Park then head down the canyon to Loveland. The first 12 miles below the dam are fantastic.

Rocky Mountain National Park isn't too far from Denver and its chock full of good water. Every piece of moving water holds fish. The Upper Big T in Morraine Park gets crowded but it holds some nice trout. You can get away from the crowds with very little hiking. Just find a blue line on the map and go. (Tip: bring a packable rain shell--you can set your watch to the 3pm thunderstorm). If you leave early you can make it from Denver in under 2 hours. The crowds should be minimal in Sept.

The "Dream Stream" section of the South Platte is a bit of a haul but it can be really productive. It's also a complete $&@€ show, but it holds some very large fish.

From what I understand there is some great carp fishing in the City of Denver. You may want to get with a guide to suss things out.

If you're so inclined, John Brunning (J.B.) is one of the best guides I've ever had the pleasure of fishing with. Front Range Anglers in Boulder handles his bookings. Front Range is a great flyshop and an easy detour if you're head to RMNP or the Big T.

Colorado's stream access is a bit different than California's. Here the landowners also own the streambed (which means you can float the river but when you drop anchor you're trespassing). Be sure to stay away from posted property. The unwritten rule is to avoid fishing across from homes or cabins, even if you're on the public side of the river (don't worry--theres still plenty of good water available).

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions.

Have fun!

DLJeff
07-18-2013, 09:33 AM
Here the landowners also own the streambed (which means you can float the river but when you drop anchor you're trespassing). Be sure to stay away from posted property. The unwritten rule is to avoid fishing across from homes or cabins, even if you're on the public side of the river (don't worry--theres still plenty of good water available).

Saddest day in recent Colorado history when they allowed this law to pass. It'll become one giant privately owned fishing club as a result of that law. I'm a Colorado native and I won't purposefully go back to fish in Colorado because of that law.

Mr F
07-18-2013, 02:22 PM
Saddest day in recent Colorado history when they allowed this law to pass. It'll become one giant privately owned fishing club as a result of that law. I'm a Colorado native and I won't purposefully go back to fish in Colorado because of that law.

I'm with ya. There's an egregious example on the Frying Pan where John Morris (of Bass Pro fame) owns what is arguably the most beautiful piece of the river. Seeing no trespassing signs on prime water really offends something deep in my soul. Yet another reason to support Trout Unlimited...

I've heard tale of friendly ranchers in the less populated parts of the state who will grant access if you ask nicely and promise not to hurt the fish--and that gives me some hope. All in all the fishing here is still far far better than California (where there are more people than trout).

gitt
07-18-2013, 02:26 PM
Having just returned from Creede, CO, I am fully aware of the private ownership of the stream bed issue as it was explained to me numerous times. Fished the La Garita Ranch section of the Rio Grande a couple miles east of Creede along with the impounds on the property. Flows on the Rio were too low for watercraft, but the fish, mostly browns, were cooperative both on top and below. Tried hoppers- nothing. Seined the river and found mostly small midges and stoneflies in the drift. Switched out to an Adams, when I saw a few mayflies. I was doing fine on top with just an Adams parachute, until I added a 4 foot section of tippet and a small Copper John as a trailer just for kicks. Hook rate exploded with the nymph. Even caught fish on the swing- it was silly for a while. My only concern was buying beer on Sunday. Last time I was in Colorado, Colo. Springs would not sell alcohol on Sunday. Perhaps it has changed, but in Creede I was told Mineral County was never a dry county. Luckily I got out of the area before the monsoons kicked in. We got wet on our way to Taos. The lightning strikes were entertaining with the dark gray background of thunderheads forming. Hydro-planed a couple of times but made it anyways. They had a large fire in the area from lightning strikes within the area of spruce beetle devastation. South Fork was evacuated and the roads in the area were closed or hourly escorted traffic. Burned over 120 square miles before we got there. A day after I left, the Rio turned to mud from run off and ash. Feared that smoke would be an issue, but the fire is mostly in Wilderness area in the high country. Thought 9,860 was high, but the surrounding mountains just go straight up with 14K peaks. Just glad I am not driving this time. That was a haul on both ends of the trip back to the bay area.

Thanks for the tips. You have provided more than a week's worth of running around. I'll leave the 6 wt at home and bust out the 3 wt instead. Hopefully I have something to report upon my return.

Mr F
07-18-2013, 07:41 PM
3 things:

You can buy beer beer every day of the week in Boulder and Denver counties. Colorado Springs: not surprised. You do, however, have to go to an actual 'liqour' store but they're easy to find (thankfully it's not Utah!)

The South Platte is a big cold water river and I've explored very little of it. There may be some great water closer to Denver that I don't know about (yet).

You can't go wrong with a 4wt. That's my number one rod (around here anyway). I usually carry a 6wt in case I want to fish streamers OR if the wind picks up (as it does frequently in the Rockies).

(4th thing) Feel free to hit me up when you're in town. I'd be happy to take you up to the Big T. (A friend of Kiene's is a friend of mine.)