Anglers rooting for wind to break up ice
Tfairplay » he South Park watch is in full effect as anglers count down the days until ice off at Antero, Spinney Mountain and Elevenmile reservoirs. Just be sure to bring along a good book.
Winter has refused to go away quietly in South Park, and while the third week in April is often associated with the opening of Spinney, that’s not the case this year. From the looks of things right now, the fabled fishery won’t be open until sometime inMay.
About 99 percent of Colorado’s only GoldMedal fishery with an annual opening day is still frozen solid, putting the coinciding pilgrimage to Spinney’s fertile waters on hold indefinitely.
As usual, speculation abounds about when the opening-day traffic jamwill form at the entrance to SpinneyMountain State Park, with some betting as early as May 1. But Larry Falk from 11 Mile Marina had a chance to fly over Spinney and nearby Elevenmile reservoirs lastweek, reporting that only the inlet at Spinneywas free of ice. The official report out of park headquarters corroborates his description.
“The lake is still frozen solid with ice and is not even close to thawing yet,” it states. “No open water to be seen.”
On the upside, Falk predicts that Elevenmile Reservoir could be ice free in as little as twoweeks, give or take. Elevenmile appears to be about 80 percent ice as of this weekend and there are shoreline fishing opportunities around most of the lake, except on the east end. There are large portions of fishable shoreline atWitchers Cove, Howbert Point, RogersMountain, Lazy Boy, Cross Creek and Stoll. Some smaller openings can be found at Suckers Cove, Rocking Chair and the Marina, and the inlet has an opening about 300 yards wide.
This early stage of ice out is considered prime time by many shore-casting fishermen as the reservoir’s notoriously large trout prowl the warming shallows in search of food. The fish are hungry and haven’t seen an artificial fly or lure— beyond a few ice fishing jigs— for months. It’s a brief but often outstanding opportunity to get into some big trout.
Elsewhere, the ice remains a variable 12 to 16 inches thick and the action at Coyote Ridge remains steady for recently stocked fish through the ice. Just bear in mind that the ice is moving around now and conditions can change daily.
Once the remaining ice melts, it creates the ideal situation for cruising trout throughout the lake, and a hefty portion of them will aim for the abundant new food sources found along the inlets and shorelines. Stripping a lure through the shallows anywhere food might wash into the lake can be productive, especially on those windy days that can concentrate food and put fish into feeding mode.
It’s a rare day when fishermen root for the wind, but that’s what it will take to stir the pot and get the ice moving and breaking up. According to the NationalWeather Service, Tuesday offers the first, best opportunity for breaking up some of that ice with a breezy forecast and a high of 68 degrees at Lake George.
Meanwhile, there’s ample open-water fishing along the Dream Stream section of the South Platte between Spinney and Elevenmile. Most of the lake-run rainbows and cut-bows seem to be postspawn and feeding again in the deeper runs. The river remains low and clear, less than 100 cfs, and the streamer bite is picking up along with midges, eggs and San Juan worms as metabolism increases and the fish seek to replenish calories.
Upstream at Antero, the ice bite has slowed a bit and there have been some rumors of dead fish sightings following the long winter. As evidenced in 2007, the shallow reservoir has proved susceptible to fish kill during harsh winters past. But with ice off anticipated sometime in May, it will be a few weeks before the extent of any damage to the fishery is known.