Fishing Report 6/16/2022

Grand Lake - Water temp is sitting right around 44-48 degrees on the surface depending on what time you are on the water. The public docks in town are closed due to some damage that the ice did this winter but things are scheduled to be fixed by mid week. The three inlets continue to dump ice cold water in the lake delaying the warming of the lake. The good thing is that the water coming in is a little bit stained but not chocolate milk. The boat inspections at the East ramp open at 6:00 in the morning and traffic has been very low for this time of year. Rainbow and brown trout fishing is absolutely on fire right now in the early mornings. We suggest you fish as early as possible because when the sun comes up and starts penetrating the water, the bite seems to slow down a bit. Casting at shorelines in 2-15 feet of water has been best as of late. We are fishing mainly Tasmanian Devils, Leech Flutter Spoons as well as small jerkbaits. The lake trout fishing has been fair at best. The water temps are keeping the best bites of the year a couple of weeks behind. Once the water temps raise a handful of degrees, it’s going to be an epic season. Right now, due to the temps, the lake trout are spread all over the lake and a bunch of different depths. Our best bites have been trolling leadcore and covering ground while looking for a group of fish we can lock on top of and work the jigs on. Again, a few more degrees and this jig bite will be off the hook. We have been trolling jointed Rapalas and Leech Flutter Spoons for the best success. Fishing with Bernie Guide- Jake Foos

Williams Fork - Ramp hours are 6AM o 8PM. The lake is at 98 capacity, or 1.4 foot low. In flow is 545 cfs out flow is 185, so the river is flowing strong below the dam. Surface temp is 49/50 degrees in the morning warming to upper 50's to low 60's on a sunny day. Lake Trout are biting best from 6AM to about 10AM then the bite gets slow until late afternoon. Juvenile lakers were biting well but the deep water midge hatch has slowed the bite as this seasonal food source emerges for the next week or so. We are catching all age groups in 46 to 58 foot of water but are seeing fewer big fish bites as the large fish are starting to migrate to deeper water. Small plastics tipped with sucker meat gigged gently on the bottom is working well for the small fish. Larger tubes or grubs bring an occasional big fish bite. Be patient, hold your spot and keep that line tight. Fishing for Rainbows and Kokanee is very slow as the lake hasn't been stocked since 2019 in an effort to rid the lake of gill lice. I haven't fished for Northern's as my focus has been on the cold shallow water Lake Trout bite. Northern's will be moving into shallow water lake wide late morning to sun. With their excellent eye sight you'll want to keep your maximum casting distance from them. Slow moving floating or suspending lures might attract a bite. Northern's are in decline, so please practice catch and release on all age groups. Fishing with Bernie Guide - Randy H

Lake Granby - Boat ramp hours are 6am to 8pm. Water level is approximately 9ft from full pool and still filling. Beware of floating debris!! Seeing lots of logs and trees floating around randoomly. Water temp has been holding around 55 degrees with all the water coming in to the lake helping to keep the temps down. Fishing for brown trout has been excellent. Look for wind blown shorelines in the rocks and work a crankbait or spoon with an erratic retrieve. Lure color does not seem to matter as much as erratic retrieve and casting close within a foot or two of shore. Rainbows are active in the inlet areas of the lakes, spoons, worms, fly and bubble are all producing fish, best action is in the low light hours of the day. Lake trout bite has been fair to good depending on the day, with the lower water temp we are still finding fish scattered throughout the lake in depths from 20 ft to 80ft. WIth the stained water and limited visibilitiy dark colors are working best, tubes, grubs and other plastics tipped with sucker worked right on the bottom will produce bites, keep moving to stay on active fish. - Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon.

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Fishing report 6/8/2022

Grand Lake - Water temps are warming, but the bite has remained good. Lots of active fish in the inlets, silver Kastmasters, small panfish tubes or worms in the inlets have been the hot lures for rainbows and browns. Lake trout are still found in 25-50 ft of water and are biting a variety of plastics and spoons tipped with sucker, the key seems to be to move until you find the active biting fish.

Williams Fork - Williams Fork is at 93% capacity. Inflow is 389 cfs. Surface temp is 46 degrees in the main body warming to 52+ on a sunny day. Visibility in the water column has increased to about 12 feet. There is a lot of debris on the lake, some of it is big enough to damage your boat so keep an eye out for that. The Lake Trout bite is good until about 11AM then the bite slows till late afternoon. Young fish are eager to eat small rubber jigs tipped with sucker meat fished tight to the bottom in 48 to 60 feet of water. Large Lakers are still working the same depth as the juvenile fish. Tubes and larger plastics have been effective on the bigger fish, but patience is the key. Surface temp is still cool enough that Lake Trout are in the range of fishermen casting from shore. The best place to cast is along the rocky shoreline near the boat ramp. Rainbows and Kokane Salmon are very slow due to low population. I haven't fished for Northern's but they will be moving into the shallows to sun late morning. Staying your maximum casting distance away from the fish will help improve your odds of getting a hit. Fishing with Bernie Guide - Randy H

Lake Granby - Sunset Point and Stillwater boat ramps are open from 6am-8pm. Water temp has warmed to 55 in the afternoons. Rainbow bite is starting to slow as the incoming water flows decrease. Look for rainbows in the shallows with spoons and wooly boogers worked slow and steady during the low light hours. Browns are active and biting early, late and when the wind picks up. Look for rocks and use an very erratic retrieve with a small tube, crankbait or spoon. Lake trout are being caught from 25-80’. Stay mobile and use those electronics to find fish. Once you find the fish they seem to be eager to eat tubes and spoons worked from the bottom to mid water column, color is very dependent on the day so change often if not getting bites and keep that tipped sucker meat fresh! - Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon.

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report 6/1/2022

Grand Lake - Fishing remains very good. Rainbow trout are active along shorelines and inlet areas. Silver and pink colored spoons and spinners as well as traditional bait for good success. Brown trout are active along rocky shorelines and around the docks using brightly colored spinners and crankbaits. Lake trout are scattered around the lake in 20-40’ of water. Dark colored tubes tipped with sucker worked on the bottom have been most productive.

Williams Fork - Williams Fork Reservoir is at 86% or 9' low. Surface temp is 45 degrees early AM. Cooler temps have slowed inflow to 349 cfs which has helped increase visibility to a little over 6 foot. There is a lot of floating and partially submerged debris on the water, so keep an eye out for that. The Lake Trout bite has improved as the lake is nearing full and the water has cleared up some. The best bite is during the first few hours of the morning. Juvenile fish are biting well in 48 to 80 foot of water on any small bait tipped with sucker meat. Color doesn't seem to matter that much but staying tight to the bottom does. Suspended/Swimming fish that show up as a straight line on your sonar will probably bite if you crank up to them. Shore fishing for Rainbows is slow but casting the rocky areas around the boat ramp early AM may produce a good Lake or Brown Trout. Due to lack of population Kokanee trolling is very slow. Since my focus is on Lake Trout while the water is cold I haven't looked for Northern's. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Randy H

Lake Granby - Boat ramps are open from 6am - 8pm. Fishing remains good for all species. For best action fish early and late in the day. Rainbow trout have been most active where there is water running into the lake, use a small piece of worm or a flashy spinner to entice bites. Brown trout bite has been excellent particularly in the rougher weather conditions. An erratically worked crank bait or spoon in the rocky areas of the lake will produce strikes. Lake trout bite has been consistently good, still finding fish from 20’ to 65’. With the current stained water conditions dark colored plastics have been working best, tip with a small piece of sucker and work right on the bottom. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 5/23/2022

Grand Lake - All boat ramps are open and fishing for all species has been good. Water is stained which is to be expected with the run-off coming into the lake. Fishing for rainbows and browns has been excellent along the shorelines and in the inlet areas. A small spoon in silver or gold has been working well along with a variety of crankbaits worked erratically. Lake trout are being caught in the 20-35’ range and have been very active throughout the day. Small tubes and grubs in white or glow have been the go to bait. - Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

Williams Fork - After a long cold winter it is awesome to be back on the water again. Denver Water did some ramp improvements this winter and built a nice new dock... Thank you for that! Williams Fork is at 81% capacity and filling fast with 620 cfs flowing in. Surface temp is 44 warming to 46 on a sunny day. Visibility is only 3.5' at the surface. I found the Lake Trout bite to be slow my first week on the lake, but they are catchable if you're patient. The slow bite may be partially due to the poor visibility... you literally have to get your jig in their face. Tubes, grubs or spoons tipped with sucker meat worked gently on the bottom is producing hits in 38 to 58 feet of water. If you see Lakers on the screen swimming in the water column they will generally take a stab at your bait. For the next couple of weeks shore fishermen casting shallow running baits should be able to hook up with a Lake Trout. Since my focus is on Lake Trout while the water is cold I haven't looked for Northern's. Bottom fishing for Rainbows is slow as the lake hasn't been stocked in few years. Trolling for Kokanee will be slow due to low population. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Randy H.

Lake Granby - Stillwater and Sunset boat ramps are open and docks are in the hours of operation are 6am-8pm. Fishing for all species has been very good. Water temp 48-52 degrees. Rainbows are active in the inlet areas of lake, spinners, spoons and brightly colored crankbaits have been working well. Brown trout bite has been excellent when the conditions are right. Look for the windblown rocky shorelines and work small tubes and crankbaits erratically, when you get a follow or catch one work that area good as we are finding many fish in the same area. Lake trout bite has been good, fish are being caught in 10-40 ft of water and seem to be concentrating in the transition areas where rocks meet mud bottom. Tube jigs have been primary bait, with color and size being as inconsistent as our weather lately. If you aren’t getting bites change both color and size until you find one they like that day. Be safe while on the water its filling fast and under water hazards are present and changing daily. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 3/14/22

Grand Lake - With the heavy snow that has hit the lake in the past couple of weeks and springtime conditions hitting the County a few times a week comes a different strategy when planning a trip on Grand Lake. The best entrance and exit points are from main lake areas but the freshest fist have been found away from the community holes. Rainbows are starting to think about moving water again and that means we have to move towards where the spawn will take place. We suggest focusing efforts on river channels and being in the nearby areas. Match the hatch- scuds and crustaceans will produce the best. Now is the time in the year to think “natural” when selecting a color. Soft plastics drop shotted have been the best bait as of late in 2-15 feet of water. Lake trout are definitely getting ready for their ice out pattern and that means there is a suspended bite right now. Hole hop, fish a lot of water and find those fish. Once you have found the area they are at, stay planted, you might just have the best day of dishing yet. Fish these suspenders with something that will draw attention. Spoons have been best. —Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos

Williams Fork - Snow and slush has been the experience on the lake lately. If you’re headed out be prepared for both and WATERPROOF boots are a necessity. Lake trout fishing for numbers has been good in 40-80’ of water with small plastics tipped with sucker meat, or a small tungsten jig with just sucker meat. Stay attentive to your rod those bites are light! As the weather continues to warm we expecting the larger predatory pike and lakers to start being active in the shallows, so don’t be afraid to venture from those deeper parts of lake.

Lake Granby - Lake is currently 41 ft low. Travel by foot or machine varies depending on location on the lake. The conditions change from snow to slush the farther east and away from the boat ramps you travel. Be prepared for lots of deep slush and snow, have waterproof footwear and a plan to get un-stuck. Fishing has been picking up lately with the rainbows congregating in the inlet areas and feeding at first light. Small ice flies and tungsten jigs in pink and white are working best. For brown trout find rocks and work a more aggressive jigging action with spoon or minnow imitation bait. Lake trout are still being found at a variety of depths from 20’ to 85’. Natural colored plastics such as tubes or grubs tipped with sucker has been the go to bait, but have a bait that glows as well as this seems to trigger the more passive fish. The ice is still holding up but average temps are increasing daily and conditions can change fast as spring approaches, stay safe as you head out on the ice!— Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 2/28/22

Grand Lake - Spring is right around the corner in Grand Lake. Some days are warm to almost “hot” and other days are still well below zero. Nevertheless, the ice continues to grow and it is reaching two feet right now. With that said, make sure you have sharp blades on your auger because it’s going to take a little while to get down and reach the water. The rainbow and brown trout fishing has been a little spotty as of late due to the amount of fishing pressure that the lake has seen over the last couple of weeks. Finding “fresh” fish is what will really drive success and that means moving around a lot. Don’t be afraid to venture into uncharted territory, away from the community holes, in order to find the most willing fish. When you do find them, we suggest fishing something flashy like a small Leech Flutter Spoon one one rod and a small, bright colored tungsten jig tipped with a waxie on the hook. The Lake trout seem to be holding their own right now with the best bite happening pretty early in the morning. Most of the fish we are catching are in 40-90 feet on gradual slopes or points. The suspended bite has been red hot one day and nonexistent the next but keep your eye glued to the full water column on your fish finder. When the suspenders show up, bring that jig up about 2-5’ above the fish and watch them charge to eat your bait. It’s a lot of fun. Dark colored tubes/soft plastics have been working well on the fish towards the bottom and brighter, flashier colors have been working best for the suspenders. As spring progresses, we stress that everyone keep their distance from the pump area and the inlets. Water will start to flow soon and that will change the ice conditions in minutes. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos

Williams Fork - With the recent snow travel has become more difficult with slush present and a big factor in your day, make sure you have appropriate footwear to deal with the slushy conditions. Lake trout bite has been slow to moderate with most fish being caught in 50 to 70 feet of water. Small plastics (less than 2 inches) tipped with sucker meat have produced most of the fish. On days with tougher bites staying mobile and moving around has produced more bites. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Sam Hochevar

Lake Granby - With the recent snow comes a bit more slush, but overall travel conditions are good on the lake. Rainbow and Brown Trout fishing has been fair. The key has been finding those transition areas from rock to mud or the edges of drop offs. Typical baits are still getting bit such as small spoons or tungsten tipped with a waxie, but location is key. Lake trout bite has been fair to good depending on the day. Mobility, finesse and attention to details has been the key to success this past week. We are finding fish in 35-70ft of water, and finesse baits in mysis imitations such as a small tungsten with Clam Silkie or small panfish tube have been very productive baits. As always don’t forget your tube jigs, as some days the larger profile baits are out producing the small baits, and a little fresh sucker meat tipped on your jig can be a big help. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 2/7/22

Grand Lake is fishing fairly consistent right now and the ice is holding right around 12” in most places. With crowds starting to dwindle a bit after the 3 Lakes Tourney, the fish seemed to have calmed down a bit and are not as “lock jawed”. There are fish all over the column so be sure to keep looking at the entire screen. One safety concern is drilling too close to some of the garage doors. The ice in these areas does not grow as thick as one would think so we recommend staying off of private building a couple of feet. The latest rainbow bite we found was very active right below the ice. We were in 30’ of water and the rainbows were cruising in about 5-12 feet down. These fish are hungry and will smack about anything you put in front of them as long as it is small. A small grub like jig (SiFly Simcoe Bug) or tungsten (CPT Drop Kick) tipped with a Silkie or maki plastic is really all you need for these fish. Again, keep your eye on the entire water column because finding the suspended is a lot of fun. The lake trout have been pretty active as well. Small white tubes and swimbaits have been producing well for us when guiding. These fish are starting to suspend and that bite is a lot of fun if the fish come through. We would suggest you focus your efforts on the 50-80 foot range for these fish and applying a small amount of scent to your bait will also add to success. When fishing the lower section of the water column, tipped jigs have been the best as of late.    Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos

Williams Fork - Travel on the lake is good right now and we are solidly into the mid ice bite, with the fish present but picky about what bait and action they are liking. Fishing for lake trout downsizing baits and moving to find the feeding fish is key with best bite in 60-80 ft of water. Main lake points and transition areas at bottom of drop offs are holding the most fish. Small spoons or tungsten jigs tipped with a small piece of sucker worked right on bottom has been most consistent baits.

Lake Granby - With the very cold temps and little snow we have good travel conditions on the lake with very few slush pockets. The bite has been fair but be willing to work and earn those bites. Rainbows and browns are still being caught along the shorelines with the bite tapering off as the sun rises. Small pink or silver spoons and a more active jigging presentation seemed to work the best. All sizes of Lake trout are being caught at various depths ranging from 20’ to 85’. Being mobile and actively searching out the fish willing to bite is a necessity. Work through a range of baits once you find fish, Jointed PinHead Mino in bright colors, small tubes or tungsten jigs tipped with a Silkie consistently produced the most bites. Starting to see a few suspended fish showing up over the deeper water, keep an eye on those electronics! Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing report Week of 1/31/22

Grand Lake - Fishing has remained fair to good for all species. Rainbow Trout and Brown trout are biting good early and late in the day right along the shorelines then bump out deeper as the day goes on and the sun comes up. Small tungsten jigs tipped with a wax worm or small spoons in chartreuse or white, the small jointed Pinhead Mino from Clam has been our go to all year long. Lake trout bite has been fair, if planning to chase lake trout mobility and electronics are key. Look for them in depths from 50’ to 90’. Small plastics, tubes, grubs and maribou jigs tipped with a small piece of sucker worked right along bottom has been producing bites.

Williams Fork Ice conditions are looking good with easy walking, so take advantage of it while it lasts. The bite this week has been steady until around noon. Most fish being caught have been on leech flutter spoons tipped with sucker meat early and transitioning over to small curly tails and tube jigs later in the day. Have a variety of colors on hand so you an figure out the color of the day. There has been a slow period mid-day but the bite picks up late afternoon there has been one last good flurry of bites and then it has been dying down drastically. Watch your electronics because if you are not marking fish within 15 minutes you should be making a move until you find fish. Once you find a few fish there seems to be many more that will move through in the same small areas.

Lake Granby - Last weekend was a busy weekend on the ice with the 3 Lakes Ice Fishing Contest, during the contest there was a few ATV/UTV’s that went through the ice on the south side of Deer Island. Stay away from the exposed rocks in these areas, the rocks in this area are easily warmed by the sun and because of the this the ice is not as thick in these areas. Just a reminder USFS rules for Lake Granby restricts weight of vehicles on the ice to under 1000 lbs. Fishing was tougher than usual this past week, which can be normal after the busy weekend. Rainbow trout and brown trout are being caught along the shorelines and the creek inlet areas. Tungsten jigs tipped with wax worm or small panfish tubes has been producing bites, jig with small subtle movements. Lake trout bite has been fair, look for fish from 50’ to 80’. Finesse has been key and often a do-nothing dead stick approach will get the most bites. If you are marking fish consistently and they won’t bite, work through a few baits then move to a different area until you find the active feeding fish. Small panfish size tubes, tungsten jigs tipped with micro plastic has been most consistent baits, but have a jigging rap ready for a change of pace and a chance for a reaction bite. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand county for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 1/24/22

Grand Lake - The low temperatures remain below zero degrees, the ice is definitely thickening on the lake. Currently, the cap is averaging about 10 inches in most places and the fishing is holding fairly strong. Hitting the ice early in the morning seems to be very important right now with a lot of traffic venturing out as the morning progresses. Rainbows and browns seem to have changed what they are eating as of late, and the bite is really starting to turn to more of a finesse pattern. Natural colors and well presented soft plastics are getting the most bites right now. When determining what to tie on the end of your line right now, think about “matching the hatch”. On Grand Lake, this means small nymph type plastics and very small jigs. Don’t be afraid to explore sections of the shoreline that have not seen a lot of pressure as of late. Finding fresh fish and staying as mobile as possible is really key right now. Our best bites have been on jigs in the 1/64-1/80 oz weights and tipped with a natural-colored soft plastic or a wax worm/spike. The earlier you can get on the ice, the better your chances are at having a good bite. As the day progresses, don’t be afraid to venture out into the 20’ depths looking for hungry fish. Now that we are close to the beginning of February, the lake trout seem to be a little bit spread out. We are now starting to see the suspended fish showing up over deeper than usual depths. Small spoons tipped with a small piece of meat have been the beat producers when you find the suspended fish. Additionally, there has been some action when jigging the bottom but these fish are starting to show up a little deeper than they were in the past couple of weeks. We would suggest that you focus you efforts in the 50-70 foot range when targeting the lake trout. At these depths, you will find a bottom bite as well as the suspended fish. When fishing the bottom, small tube jigs have been producing the beat in the past lake and like the rainbows and browns, think “natural” when determining what color of tube jig you would like to drop. A very small piece of sucker meat will not at all hurt your chances at some table fare. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos

Williams Fork - The ice conditions on the lake have been good for foot travel with limited new snow its been easy to get around. The fishing has mostly been fair as it is trending towards that mid ice pattern. Lake trout are being caught in depths between 45-70’. We typically have to move one or two times to find the groups of fish that are interesting in biting. Downsizing our baits has been key to success with small ice flies or tungsten tipped with sucker worked right on bottom being our best bait. While fishing for smaller lake trout have a bigger bait handy as the the larger fish seem to come through at unpredictable times in the same spots as the small lake trout. Pike fishing has been generally slow, with an occasional fish caught in some of the shallow bays on reaction type baits, like lipless crankbaits or large jigging raps.

Lake Granby - Fishing has definitely been dependent on the day, though still generally a good bite. Ice conditions are varied from 6-12” with growing areas of slush, some of them are currently quite large and deep the farther east on the lake you go. Rainbows and Browns are most active early in the day. Look for rainbow trout in them 12’ and shallower range and target areas with current or moving water like creek inlets. Tungsten jig tipped with wax worm or a small finesse spoon in pink or white seems to be most productive. Brown trout are being caught along the natural rocky shorelines or transition area between mud and rocks. Small tubes, minnow imitations or aggressively worked Leech Flutter spoon has been most productive baits. Lake trout bite has been tougher as of late, we are having to move often to find the groups of fish who are willing to bite. Most productive depths have been 50-72' with small panfish tubes, tungsten jigs tipped with sucker or a bright colored spoon. Going to be a busy and fun weekend on the ice for the 3 Lakes Fishing Contest, stay safe and hope to see you at the weigh station! Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand county for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude

Grand County Fishing Report Week of 1/17/22

Grand Lake - Already starting to fish a little but different due to the amount of pressure that the fish are seeing. Now that the ice is gaining much needed thickness, a lot of the lake is now possible to access. Hopping around and changing depths seems to be the game right now. On my last guided trip, I drilled roughly 60 holes that day to find that special depth and structure. The rainbows and brows have still been in the shallows (5-9') but have been sliding off quite a bit deeper as soon as the sun starts to penetrate the ice. Once the sun rises, we tend to do better in the 20-25 foot range. By far, the most productive baits for us have been the CLAM Leech Flutter Spoon or a small Simcoe Bug by SiFlies tipped with a waxworm or spike (I like spikes because they last longer). When fishing the deep water, pay special attention to the entire water column because the rainbows have a tendency to come in suspended and that is a really fun bite. The lake trout have been pretty active as of late despite the crowds. All fish we caught in the past week were on small tube jigs tipped with a piece of sucker meat. Color didnt seems to matter just as long at the jig was fished as slow as possible and touching the bottom on every jig stroke. Again, start a bit shallower in the early morning (20-30') and slide off into the depths (40-70') as the sun hits the ice. The bite has generally been tapering off around 11:00 am.  Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos

Williams Fork - We have had some crisp and cold days in the negatives and ice has been growing well. 8-10" of good ice with minimal snow pack, there is some slush pockets around the west end but most of the lake is easy traveling. The road grader made its way around the lake so parking has been much easier with more options. Top producing baits have still been small jig heads with meat, flutter spoons, and tube jigs. I have seen some good action from fish chasing far up the water collum but it has been day by day. If fish are chasing vertical then 3-8" flukes have been getting lots of attention but the hook up ratio has been low. Depth ranges from 40-70FOW have been the most productive zones for my groups this week.  Fishing with Bernie Guide, Rhett Feltman.

Lake Granby - Ice conditions vary lake wide right now. We are seeing 4” to 10” of ice depending on location, with quite a few slush pockets for this early in the season. Also starting to see some ice heaves as the ice sheet grows, be very cautious traveling on this early ice and have your safety gear on hand. Fishing has been good for all species. Rainbow trout are being caught in water under 8’ on small spoons, or tungsten jigs tipped with a wax worm, chartreuse or pink have been best colors. Target the areas where water is moving into the lake. Brown trout are biting best along the rocky shorelines, black maribou jigs or 1.5” tube jigs worked just off bottom tight to the rocks has been most consistent. Lake trout - currently catching fish at various depths 20’-65’. Key has been moving to find the active fish. Most productive baits right now have been dark colored plastics such as tubes, grubs and minnow imitations. Tipping with sucker or using a scent does not seem to matter if you are in the right location. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand county for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude