Fishing Reports
The ice is off of Wolford and Williams Fork. Trout fishing is awesome early and late in the day. Crank baits, ice jigs under a bobber, spoons, bait, tubes are all working very well.
The rivers are fishing very well with an assortment of nymphs, small crank baits and other lures.
Granby and Grand Lake still have ice, a snow movie went through the ice on Granby last week. It took 2 guys all day to get it out, proceed with caution and at your own risk.
This middle park fishing report is brought to you by Fishing with Bernie. Lake Granby has been good to excellent for rainbows and browns along the shorelines. Tiny jigs like the Clam drop kick tipped with wax worms in water less then 10'deep should illicit strikes until the sun comes up. Lake trout have started to suspend around the lake. Look for this in 100+ foot of water. The lakers should be suspending 50-70 feet below the ice. Leech flutter spoons, plain janes, marabous and tube jigs should work very well for the next few weeks. We did get a couple new pressure ridges on the ice last week, use caution crossing these.
Williams Fork has been fishing fair to good this week. The weather seems to be the biggest factor. The bite doesn’t last as long on the clear sunny days so make sure to get there early for your best shot at success. The best action for all species has been before 10 AM and after 4 PM, but the lake trout will bite all day sometimes. Folks are still catching the best numbers of lake trout in 40-80 feet of water. The usual baits are doing the trick. Tube jigs with sucker meat, gulp minnows and jigging spoons are all catching a few. Try downsizing on the tough days. Trout and a few pike are still being caught, mostly in the bays in shallow water. Keep moving if you don’t find them right away.
The ice is still solid even with all the warm weather recently. The patchy snow on top is melting quickly though, so make sure to take cleats with you. The daily melt/freeze cycle is making the ice very slick near shore in the mornings. Tucker Bamford, Guide- Fishing with Bernie
Grand Lake - The warm weather last week tried hard to soften up the ice but its holding up strong. Slush is showing up in a few spots, but overall conditions are still great. Fishing for all species has been good, sunrise and sunset are definitely the prime times to be out. Rainbows and browns are being caught with small jigs or spoons tipped with salmon egg or wax worm in depths up to 20 ft, and lake trout are biting on heavier spoons and tube jigs tipped with sucker in 50-70ft of water. Ice season isn’t over here in Middle Park yet, get out and enjoy! Dan Shannon, Guide – Fishing with Bernie
Bernie Keefe has been a fishing guide in the area for over 20 years.
Grand Lake - 2/27/2017
The ice is holding up great despite the warmer temps last week. The top layer that was slush is now frozen and snow covered, though it is still very bumpy I spots from the old slush. Fishing has been varied from fair to excellent depending on the day. Rainbows and browns are being caught all day long on small spoons like the Clam Leech Flutter Spoon tipped with wax worm between 6' and 20' with the best action being early and late. Work the whole water column fish are being found throughout. For the lake trout work depths between 35' and 75', stay mobile and use your Vexilar to find them. When you find one, you should find several. Heavier spoons such as the Reelbait Plane Jane, tipped with sucker has been my go to bait. Dan Shannon - Guide, Fishing with Bernie
Williams Fork has been good this week. The best numbers of lake trout are mostly hanging in the 40-80 foot depth range near the bottom, with a few fish suspended up to 20 feet off the bottom. The fish can be in vastly different locations day to day, so keep moving until you find action. Various colors of large tube jigs are catching most of the quality fish. The smaller fish are eating tubes in the 3 to 3.5 inch range tipped with sucker meat, as well as jigging spoons and other small baits. Pike action is hit or miss. They’ve mostly been in less than 10 feet of water. A few rainbows are being caught in the bays early in the morning, but if you’re after fast action you may be better off chasing down the lake trout.
The ice is still about 14” in most areas, but gets a bit thinner as you get closer to the dam. The snow on top of the ice has been patchy and only an inch or so deep making it easy to drag the sled anywhere on the lake. The ice is very slick near shore so use caution and take ice cleats if you have them.
Lake Granby has been fishing excellent for lake trout, watch for them to suspend over the deeper water. Tubes, Leech flutter spoons, marabous, Gulp minnows and blade baits have all been working very well. Rainbows and browns are hitting small baits tipped with wax worms in shallow water early in the morning or right before bark. Bernie Keefe has been a fishing guide in the area for over 20 years.
When fish come easy in early winter, it's easy to get spoiled. But that all changes when fishing pressure, changes to the underwater environment and other factors make fishing tough.
Rather than throw in the towel, tackle a tough bite with these proven tactics. I'll use lake trout for an example, but the strategies hold water for other gamefish as well.
To beat a tough bite for lakers on my home waters in Colorado, I start by checking classic cover and structure, such as humps, weed edges, flats and drop-offs. Finding aggressive fish in one kind of area gives me a pattern for the day, and I focus on similar spots elsewhere on the lake.
When identifying the best of these look-alike areas to fish, I pick those with the most similar characteristics, such as close proximity to deep water, being attached to an underwater ridge, and so forth.
The InSight Genesis mapping on my Lowrance Elite TI sonar-chartplotter helps me find these potential hotspots in a hurry, so I don't waste precious fishing time in search mode.
As I roll into each new area, let's say with a pair of clients, I drill 12 to 15 holes spaced 30 to 40 paces apart, so we can cover the structure as quickly as possible. We fish each hole no more than five to 10 minutes with active presentations like a Clam Leech Flutter Spoon or jig head tipped with a Berkley Gulp! Minnow, Jerk Shad or Havoc tube.
Tubes are fished on or near bottom. Pound them in the mud to imitate crayfish and other bottom-dwelling forage. An aggressive approach is typically best, but you can also deadstick them just off bottom to mimic an easy meal just waiting to be eaten.
Spoons and the other jig-and-plastic combos work the entire water column, and are great for calling fish in from a distance. If a trout moves in but won't bite, I reel the lure away from it to trigger an instinctive predatory response to attack.
If our opening salvo produces big fish or numbers of fish, we drill more holes and keep fishing. If not, it's go time, and we head for the next fishing area.
I'm not interested in spending all day trying to finesse a few finicky fish. Run-and-gun tactics offer the best chance to find and catch fish that remain active in the face of a tough bite. Trust me, there's always a group of fish somewhere that are eating, and those are the ones you want to be fishing for.
The same philosophy applies to bluegills, crappies, walleyes and pike. Give it a shot when your favorite fish play hard to catch, and you, too, can beat even the toughest bites on ice.
The action at Williams Fork tailed off a bit this week, but is still good some days. Most of the mackinaw have moved slightly deeper and can be found in 40-80 feet of water. The usual baits are still working, including 3" tubes tipped with sucker, leech flutter spoons, and gulp minnows. Early and late day have been providing the best action this week. Rainbows can also be caught early morning in shallow water on various micro jigs as Rat Finkees or tear drop jigs tipped with salmon eggs or meal worms.
Pike action has been fair if you hit it on the right day. They are mostly being caught in less than 10 feet of water.The slush froze up again this week making for easier walking and also some slick areas, so take your cleats. The ice is holding at about 14" on most of the lake.
Grand Lake is fishing fair to good depending on the day. The ice is holding up well despite the warmer temps, and the slush has become solid again for now. The area in front of the swim beach is a mess because of the winter carnival and heavy traffic, but get away from that area and conditions improve. Lake trout are still being caught between 40 and 80 feet of water, on a variety of jigs tipped with sucker meat. Rainbows and browns are being caught throughout the day, just need to move around to find the active areas. The weather has been nothing short of excellent lately, cool in the mornings and warm by noon, but storms are in the forecast, and spring isn’t far away. Get out and enjoy the ice while you still can! Dan Shannon, Guide – Fishing with Bernie
Lake Granby has been fishing awesome this week for fish 15"-23" lake trout. Tubes, Leech flutter spoons, blade baits and maribous have been working very well.The laker bite has been an all day bite, just keep moving every time your spot slows down. Rainbows and browns have been eating a variety of soft plastics and spoons tipped with a piece of "GULP" or wax worms.The bite has been best early in the morning and in water less then 10'deep.The slush has froze back up and there were alot of atv's on the lake last weekend. Dont forget your sunscreen and sunglasses, the sun has been shining bright all day.
Lake Granby, The slush has decided to freeze up again. The lake is very hard and accessible by about any means legal. If your on snow machines this is the time of year to use your scratchers. Rainbows and browns are biting very well on the shorelines in water less then 10' deep. Lake trout are hitting spoons, plastics or bait.
Grand Lake is in typical mid winter fishing pattern with fishing fair to good depending on the day. The ice is holding up well despite the warmer temps, but there is the dreaded slush that is an ever growing problem. Lake trout are being caught between 40 and 80 feet of water, just have to stay mobile to find the active fish. Rainbows and browns can be caught all day, start shallow early and move deeper as the sun gets higher in the sky, then opposite as the day moves along. The weather has been spectacular and the views from the ice nothing short of breathless, Get out and enjoy! Dan Shannon, Guide – Fishing with Bernie
The fishing at Williams Fork has been good overall. Lake trout are still providing the best action. The most productive depth for numbers of fish has been 50-70 feet most days, but a few fish are being caught shallower. Make sure to move around if you don’t find fish right away. Tube jigs 3 to 3.5 inches in various colors have been the best producers as usual. Some fish are eating smaller baits like Gulp minnows and Leech Flutter Spoons. The big-fish bite has been hit or miss lately, but a few lucky anglers are finding one now and then.
Action for rainbows has been fair to good early in the mornings in shallow water, using typical micro jigs and other small baits. Pike action has been spotty, but folks are catching a few, also in the shallow bays.
The warm weather this week melted most of the snow that was on top of the ice, so the shoreline is very slushy, and there are a few slush patches further out from shore too. The ice thickness is still 12-14” on most of the lake. There is more sweatshirt weather on the way, so stay tuned for updates.
Bernie Keefe has been a fishing guide in the Granby area for over 20 years
Fishing at Williams Fork has been fair to good depending on the day. Lake trout are still providing the best action in 35-70 feet of water. Most of the fish being caught are in the 12-17” range. Natural color tubes 3” to 3 ½” tipped with sucker meat are drawing the most interest. Gulp minnows, Leech flutter spoons, and various other jigging spoons are also catching a few. You may have to move around a bit to find a good concentration of fish. The big fish bite has been hit or miss lately.
A few rainbows are being caught in shallow water in the mornings with the best action being before 9 AM. Micro jigs tipped with meal works or salmon eggs are a good bet to catch them. Occasional pike are also being caught in the shallow bays, but pike action has been a bit spotty.
The ice is holding at 12-14” in most spots with 4-8” of snow on top depending on where you are on the lake. There are still a ton of deer hanging around near the lake, so don’t forget to drink your coffee before driving through Middle Park. Tucker Bamford, Guide Fishing with Bernie
Grand Lake 2/6
The lake is snow covered and has at least a foot of ice in most places. As usual there is open water and thin ice in the channel area. The bite has slowed from the early season action. For best results fish early and late. Stay mobile till you find the active fish and use those electronics. A variety of depths, locations and lures have been sucessful, but mobility has been they key for all species. Dan Shannon, Guide - Fishing with Bernie
Lake Granby
Rainbow and brown trout fishing is great to excellent in water under 6 feet deep. Clam "dingle drop" tungsten jigs tipped with waxies are working very well. Inside turns with rocks near by seem to produce great numbers early, once the sun hits the ice that bite is over. The lake trout are feeding all day. Use electronics to find the fish then switch up colors and profiles until they bite. This latest snow is causing a little bit of slush again. Bernie Keefe has been a fishing guide in the middle park area for over 20 years.
Thanks to everyone that came to fish the 3 Lakes ice fishing contest. By now the fish have settled down and will eat. Lake Granby is fishing very good for all species. Rainbows and browns are being caught in water less then 15 feet deep on small jigs tipped with wax worms. Spoons are a great attractor. Most Lake trout are being caught at 40-70 feet of water. Tube jigs, hair jigs, spoons, and plain jig heads tipped with a small piece of sucker meat are enticing bites.
Williams Fork, The fishing dropped off a bit this week, but there are still plenty of 12-17” lake trout being caught on the usual baits. Focus on structure in 35-65 feet of water for the best action. Tube jigs tipped with sucker meat and various jigging spoons are consistently producing a few strikes. Smaller baits like bare jigheads with a chunk of sucker and gulp minnows are also catching a few. The key is moving around to find the highest concentrations of fish. Bigger lakers have been tough to entice recently but there is always the possibility of a trophy at this lake. The best tactic for rainbows has been to fish early in the day in shallow water in one of the bays with micro jigs or crappie tubes. A few pike are also being caught in shallow water bays but action for them is hit or miss.
The ice is about 12-14 inches thick across most of the lake with a slightly thinner area near the dam. There is still about 6 inches of snow on top of the ice. There is still no slush anywhere on the lake. Tucker Bamford
Grand Lake, The Rainbow trout and Brown trout continue to be active and hungry with the best bite being early and late in the day. They are being found between 8ft and 16ft of water depending on time of day and are being caught on a variety of baits, but the Leech Flutter Spoon by Clam tipped with a wax worm has been my go to bait. Lake trout are being caught all over the lake, but it takes some diligence and searching. Get out drill some holes and use that Vexilar to determine where the Lake trout are and what their mood is for the day, seems to change every day. Ice is in good shape on the town side of the lake, use caution if venturing out, and beware of the areas with moving water, as the ice varies significantly there compared to rest of lake!. Be safe and good luck. Dan Shannon, Guide – Fishing with Bernie
Granby has lost its slush! The ice thickness varies around the lake. We have been seeing snow machines and ATV's throughout the lake. Rainbows and browns are biting very well around the shorelines until the sun hits the ice then they shut down. A few kokanee have been caught in water 20'-30' deep over 80'-100' of water. Lake trout fishing has been excellent with small spoons like the "Leech Flutter spoon or plain jains in various colors and sizes. Tube jigs. hair jigs and other assorted plastics tipped with a small piece of sucker meat have been producing also in 40-70 feet of water. Bernie
Williams Fork Reservoir is fishing well for lake trout with a few rainbows and pike being caught as well. Most of the macks are being caught in 35-75 feet of water on tube jigs tipped with a small chunk of sucker meat. Various jigging spoons and gulp minnows are also catching a few. Most of the pike are showing up in less than 10 feet of water. Jigging Raps and tube jigs account for a few pike as well. Rainbows are mostly being found in less than 15 feet of water and can be caught on panfish tubes or various mini jigs tipped with salmon eggs or meal worms. Tucker - guide Fishing with Bernie
The ice on most of the lake is 12-14” thick with a thinner area near the dam that is about 8”. There was some fresh snow this week, but it’s still only about 6” deep on top of the ice. There was no slush on top of the ice at the time of this report.
Grand Lake has fishable ice conditions, use caution in the areas of moving water as the ice thickness is significantly different than the other areas of the lake. Fishing has been good for Rainbows and Browns, concentrate your efforts to early in the morning and late in the day for best results. No need to go too deep, but the fish do move deeper as the day goes on, your typical trout baits have been working well. The lake trout under 18” have been active and hungry, we have been finding them all over the lake. They don’t seem to be relating to any depth or structure, but out and cruising. Grab your Vexilar, sharpen your auger blades, top off the tank and get out there and drill a bunch of holes, that’s what its been taking to find the lake trout. Good luck out there! Dan Shannon, Guide - Fishing with Bernie .
