Middle Park fishing report for the week of 6-4-18

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Here is your middle park report for the week of 6-4-18. 

Grand Lakes Surface temp is in the high 40's. As the summer time temps raise, the trout have been sliding out a little bit deeper to follow the prime water. Right now, it is very important watch your electronics and adjust your techniques accordingly. Fishing high in the water column has been productive but once the sun beats down on the surface, the trout have been going deeper. Casting small spoons and spinners has been best for the rainbows and browns lately in 5-20 feet of water.  The cooler water seems to be holding the fish so early and late in the day have been the best times for consistency. The lake trout on Grand Lake seem to be close to steep drops where they can get at their meal and then retreat back to the deeper, cooler water. Small tubes with a small piece of meat and spoons have been working best. I have been seeing the majority of the fish from 30-60 feet deep depending on time of day. The fly fishing remains good using large, dark bugs. Once the water clears up a bit, it will be prime dry fly time and that means some great fishing is right around the corner. As summer progresses, the terrestrials will be out and that will be some fantastic fun. Jake Foos, guide- Fishing with Bernie

Williams Fork, Surface temp is in the low 50's. Williams Fork is at 91% capacity. Lake Trout bite is very good. We are finding most fish in 50' to 70' foot of water on rubber jigs tipped with sucker meat on or just above the bottom. Rainbows are being caught from shore on spinners and tight-lining with worms, eggs or Power Bait. Northern Pike is slow as is trolling for Kokanee. There is still a lot of debris on the water. Watch out for logs and be safe! Randy Hall Guide - Fishing with Bernie.

Lake Granby, Surface temp is in the 50's. Rainbows are in the shallows. Worms, power bait, small spoons and spinners are working well. Browns are near rocky areas. Marabou jigs, spoons and crank baits are all producing fish throughout the day.

Lake trout fishing is very good, tube jigs tipped with sucker meat,  Reelbait slab spoons and "Gulp" minnows are all working for the jiggers. Trollers are catching fish on spoons and crank baits. There are a few kokanee being caught over deeper water with small bright spoons and spinners.  

Bernie Keefe has been guiding the middle park area for over 25 years. For more info on fishing the area or on booking a guided trip please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com or on  https://www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie

 

Here is your middle park report for the week of 5-28-18.

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Williams Fork Fishing, Surface temp is in the high 40's. Lake trout can still be found relativity shallow early in the morning. Move to deeper water late morning. Lake Trout bite has been good up to 1:00 PM in 50' to 70' of water on any rubber jig tipped with sucker meat. Shore fisherman are catching small Rainbows casting or tight-lining with bait. Pike bite has been slow but will improve once the lake fills. Their is a lot of debris on the lake right now. Watch out for logs! Randy Hall Guide - Fishing with berniekeefe@hotmail.com Grand Lake, Temp mid 40's, Rainbows and browns are in the shallow water eating small spoons, power bait and crawlers. Lake trout can be anywhere in the water column, the best bite seems to be 30-50 feet deep. Power minnows, tubes and spoons are getting bit on a regular basis. Dan Shannon, Jake Foos- Fishing with Bernie Lake Granby, temp low 50's, Rainbows are plentiful around the shorelines and will hit spoons, spinners and bait on the bottom. Browns are near rocky areas and are hitting stick baits early and late in the day. Lake trout are very active, tubes, spoons "Gulp" minnows are all working very well. Key depths are 40-80 feet of water. Bernie Keefe has been guiding the middle park area for over 25 years.
For more info on fishing the area or on booking a guided trip please check out fishingwithbernie.com or on facebook.com/FishingWithBernie Fishing with Bernie | Lake Granby, Colorado's Premier ... <fishingwithbernie.com> fishingwithbernie.com Here is your Middle Park report for thew week of 5-2 18. The ice is off most of our lakes. The docks are near the ramps but you still have to walk in the mud to get to your boat.

Middle Park fishing report for the week of 5-21-18.

The ramps are open at Williams Fork from 6am till 8 pm. Shore fishing for rainbows has been excellent, marabou jigs, worms and power bait have all been working well. Lake trout are very catchable from a boat in 30-90 feet of water. Pike are still slow but will get more active as the water warms.

Grand Lake ramps are open. Browns and rainbows as well as a few lakers are being caught around the shorelines. Small crank baits early in the morning or bait near the shore will yield a few fish. Lake trout are being caught in depths of 3-50'. Tubes, spoons and Gulp minnows were all getting bit this weekend.

Lake Granby is fishing very well. Rainbows are cruising the shorelines, power bait, worms or small spoons will be effective baits. Browns are near rocky areas crank baits early and late in the day are your best bets. Lake trout are still near the banks as well as out in the deeper water. Tubes, marabous, flutter spoons and crank baits are all working.

Middle Park fishing report 5-3-2018

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Here is your Middle Park report for thew week of 5-2 18. The ice is off most of our lakes. The docks are near the ramps but you still have to walk in the mud to get to your boat. Casting minnow baits like the Berkely Cutter 90 and 110 early and late in the day is constantly producing browns and lake trout. Later in the day power minnows, havoc tubes and flutter spoons are catching fish. Trollers are catching fish with flutter spoons and minnow baits. Rainbows are in the inlets along with suckers. An easy way to catch these fish is to use a worm on the bottom. The weather has been unpredictable so layer up and don't forget your sun glasses and rain gear.berniekeefe@hotmail.com Keefe has been a fishing guide in the middle park area for over 25 years, for more information please check out his website www.fishingwithbernie.com  

Middle Park fishing report 4-25-2018

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Here is your middle Park fishing report for the week of April 25, 2018. The ice is coming off most of the reservoirs in the area. Walking the shoreline casting lures or bait will work very well. Try casting lures or bait shallow early and late in the day. The fish will move deeper as the sun rises. Stillwater boat ramp is open from 6 am till 8 pm. The gates are locked at all other times. Williams Fork will be open to boating on May 12. Grand Lake and Shadow Mtn will be open on May 20. (Those are the dates I heard). Check with the officials to be sure.  Bernie Keefe has been guiding the middle Park area for over 25 years, for more info please check out his website at www.fishingwithbernie.com

5 Baits for Ice out trout

Savvy trout anglers know that early spring offers some of the year's best fishing. Winter-weary lakers, browns and rainbows strap on the feedbag and prowl predictable shoreline hangouts once the lakes shrug off their icy winter cloaks.

When the bite is on, trout fans armed with the right lures can enjoy epic action. To help you catch the most fish possible on every trip this spring, veteran trout guide Bernie Keefe offers his five favorite baits for tangling with ice-out trout.

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1. Stick It To 'Em
Under the right conditions, slender, shallow-running, minnow-imitating hardbaits are hard to beat. "Baits like Berkley's Cutter 90 and Cutter 110 are phenomenal early in the morning, from first light until the sun hits the water," says Keefe. "They're also great choices when the wind kicks up a chop later in the day."

Such lures shine over shallow flats, along points and over other feeding areas where trout chase baitfish and other sources of sustenance. "Fish them with an erratic, twitch-pause retrieve," he advises.

To cover more water when casting from shore, Keefe makes long casts at a 45-degree angle to the bank until fish are found. "Cast, reel in, then walk down the bank almost to the point where the lure landed, and cast again," he explains. "If you're fishing from a boat, use the electric trolling motor to keep moving at a fairly good clip while casting toward the shoreline. Afoot or afloat, the goal is to cover ground until you locate fish. Once you find them, saturate the area with casts until they quit biting."

2. Tube Time
As the sun rises over calm waters, trout move toward steeper bottom tapers in slightly deeper water. "Casting a 3- to 4-inch soft-plastic tube bait like a Berkley Havoc Smash Tube on a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jighead into 15 to 20 feet of water is a great way to contact these fish," says Keefe.

"Cast, let the jig fall to bottom and, while keeping your rodtip low, retrieve the tube in 6- to 12-inch twitches that imitate crayfish and small minnows darting along the bottom," he continues. "In between twitches, the jig should hit bottom while you reel in slack line and move the rodtip forward in preparation to make the next twitch."

Strike detection is largely a visible matter. "Watch your line like a hawk," he says. "If it twitches or jumps, set the hook." One final caveat: Since tubes are fished on and just above bottom, Keefe doesn't recommend tubing over extremely rocky areas.

3. Soft Swimmers
"Soft-plastic swimbaits like the Berkley Ripple Shad are another great lure choice in calm, sunny conditions," Keefe says. "As with tubes, 3- to 4-inch baits on a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jighead excel in depths of 15 to 20 feet."

Unlike tubes, swimbaits are fished above bottom. "Match jig weight to swimbait size, so the bait has the right wobbling action on a slow retrieve, without falling to bottom and snagging in the rocks," Keefe notes. "Experiment with steady and subtle lift-fall retrieves until the trout let you know what they're in the mood for at the moment."

To determine the most productive part of the water column, Keefe fishes different levels until a pattern emerges. "On your first cast, count the jig down until it hits bottom, then retrieve the bait just above it," he says. "Every cast after that, reduce your drop count by five until you find the strike zone."

4. Spoon Feeding
Ever a metal fan, Keefe isn't shy about tying on a flashy spoon in sunny weather. "Spoons are deadly for targeting trout suspended over deep water," he says.

Reaction strikes are the goal when spoon feeding trout. "Cast, let the spoon fall to the level you want to fish, and retrieve with a twitch, pause, flutter cadence," he explains. "The more erratic, the better. Clam's Super Leech Flutter Spoon is my favorite because the lightweight, zinc-alloy construction allows you to really dance it in the water."

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5. Hard-Bodied Swimbaits
In low-light periods early and late, or windy, cloudy conditions throughout the day, Keefe often turns to a 6-inch or larger, hard-bodied swimbait like the Sebile Magic Swimmer.

"Hard plastic and wooden swimbaits are big-fish magnets, best for covering a lot of water, fast, while casting over large flats, along points and in other sweet spots," he says. "Match lure color to that of the forage base, which in prime trout fisheries is often rainbow trout or suckers."

Middle Park area fishing report 4-2-18

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Here his your middle park fishing report for the week of Aril 2nd  Spring conditions are upon us, be aware of the ice your on. Look for soft spots and open water.

Grand Lake,  We are still ice fishing!  Spring conditions out there and changing fast, check the ice often and use caution.  Bite has been fair for all species.  The best bite for Rainbows and Browns has been early or late in the day, with Clam Leech Flutter spoons or erratic jigging baits.   Look for lake trout suspended over deeper water 70’-100’, use your Vexilar to find them and small plastics tipped with a piece of sucker meat to entice them to bite. Monarch Lake  (Brook Trout)?? -  For those looking for a hike or a little bit of adventure the higher altitude lakes are still holding ice.  Trails are a mix of snow and mud, snow shoes would help in most spots but are not necessary.  Brook trout were active and chasing aggressively jigged Clam Flutter Spoons and Tungsten Caviar Drop jigs tipped with Maki plastics.  Work the shore lines in 6-10’ of water, move often when not getting bites and jig in the entire water column including just below the ice.     Dan Shannon, Guide for Fishing with berniekeefe@hotmail.com

Williams Fork Fishing Report,  If you like the idea of coming home alive, fish somewhere else this week. There is a strip 2-4 feet wide of open water along the edges of the lake and the ice is rotting quickly. Look for enough open water to fish in a week or two. If you do venture out on the ice, wear bright colors so your body will be easier to find. Tucker Bamford

Lake Granby- We are rapidly moving into spring conditions. Check the ice as you go, be particularly aware of shallow rocks, current and south facing shorelines. Someone seems to "dump" a sled or atv in the lake every year. Rainbows are cruising the shorelines eating small jigs and spoons tipped with wax worms or "Gulp" maggots. Lake trout fishing has been good on most days. Look for fish suspending in the water column and fish them with flutter spoons, power minnows or marabou jigs.  Bernie Keefe has been a fishing guide in the area for over 25 years, for more information please check out his face book page https://www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or his website http://www.fishingwithbernie.com

Middle Park area fishing report 3-27-2018

Here his your middle park fishing report for the week of March 22nd. Spring conditions are upon us, be aware of the ice your on. Look for soft spots and open water. 

Lake Granby- Lake trout are hitting tube jigs tipped with sucker meat, flutter spoons, "GULP" minnows and a variety of other baits. There are a lot of fish being caught in 50'-80' of water. Rainbows are being caught in water less then 10' deep on bright colored jigs tipped with wax worms. 

Middle Park area fishing report 3-22-2018

Here his your middle park fishing report for the week of March 22nd. Spring conditions are upon us, be aware of the ice your on. Look for soft spots and open water. 

Grand Lake - ice is holding

Middle Park area fishing report 3-15-2018

Grand Lake - Ice conditions are holding up, we had some cool mornings last week, but check as you go with spring upon us things can change fast.