Fishing Report For Dillon Reservoir, CO

Current Report: Fair To Good

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, have driven rainbow trout out to deeper water. Anglers are now catching them 15 to 30 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, rocky structure, humps, and anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that they had a full summer to grow, there are some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits.

WINTER. When Winter sets in jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 15 to 30 feet of water. Good areas include deep mid-lake drop offs along the Frisco Peninsula, and around inlets in Heaton Bay. These baits work well around the old river channels and the deeper humps and cuts. Trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, are the best approach during the cold-water season. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites in this cold water.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to shallow, warmer water 5 to 18 feet deep. Good options include stream mouth Inlets and shallow flats in the Tenmile and Snake River arms. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Shallow flats and rocky structure are quick to warm in the afternoon sun. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait are catching most of the fish. Later in Spring rainbows begin migrating to deeper water.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 18 to 30 feet deep, occasionally deeper. Trolling with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits in deeper water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

Fishing conditions and techniques for brown trout here, are similar to that of rainbows. One additional bait that brown trout seem to get fooled by, are small jerkbaits. Brown trout can be very aggressive, and put up quite a fight.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw browns shallower. Successful anglers are catching them 10 to 30 feet deep on points, rocky structure, humps, and mouths of bays where baitfish are gathering. Good options include stream mouth Inlets and shallow flats in the Tenmile, and Snake River arms. Decent catches are coming on jerkbaits, miniature crankbaits, small spinnerbaits and swimbaits. Once they have had a full summer to grow, it's a good time to catch a trophy. When they move out to structure in deep water, spoons, jigs and bait are catching browns.

WINTER. When Winter sets in, and the lake freezes over, ice fishing is quite popular here. Jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait are catching most limits of brown trout, in 12 to 40 feet of water. After ice out, trolling, drift fishing and jigging spoons all work well. Slower presentations improve catch rates as these trout have a low metabolism in the colder months.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, brown trout move from their deep winter holding areas to shallower, warmer water. Annually, after ice-out, weekend anglers are catching brown trout on spinners, small jerkbaits, nightcrawlers and a variety of other prepared offerings. They congregate around inflowing creeks, backwaters and onto flats - 6 to 20 feet deep. The most productive fishing is happening from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives brown trout deeper, 15 to 40 feet deep, and deeper. Good reports often come from anglers fishing submerged humps around the Frisco Peninsula. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallower in these low-light conditions. Trolling around river channel ledges and structure, using downriggers or leaded line, or drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Anglers fishing from the bank are using fairly heavy weights, on a Carolina rig to get baits into deeper water.

Current Report: Good

Kokanee here, school up and hang out in deep water, usually above some type of structure. Downriggers are the ideal way to get baits to the proper depth, but leaded line or heavy sinkers can also be an option. Mack's Wedding Ring Classic Spinners, Worden's Spin-N-Glo Kokanee Rig, and in-line flashers tipped with shoepeg white corn, live nightcrawlers or minnows for scent, helps attract bites.are all catching fish here. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes. Jigging brightly colored lures and bait also catches kokanee here. The Blue River Bay area has been a top location for kokanee for many years, and is always a good place to start. Let your electronics tell you when you're in the right area.

FALL. In early Fall, kokanee migrated into spawning grounds, along the shoreline of the lake, or upstream in rivers and tributaries. In the weeks just prior to the spawn, they gathered in sizeable schools near the mouths of these inflows. The spawn typically occurs in mid to late September. Kokanee fishing is good from 8 to 20 feet deep. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during the spawn. Now that late Fall has arrived, these schools have moved out to deeper structure in the basin. They are now being caught in 15 to 40 feet of water, often suspending above the structure.

WINTER. When ice fishing in Winter, kokanee are typically caught from 10 to 25 deep. On occasion they move deeper. Ice jigs, spoons, PowerBait, ShrimpZ, shoepeg corn and maggots are popular ice fishing baits here. In open water they tend to stay deeper, 40 to 90 feet deep.

SPRING. During late Spring kokanee typically move closer to the surface where phytoplankton blooms become more abundant, providing a rich food source. Kokanee will feed heavily on this plankton in 10 to 20 feet of water, until surface temperatures reach the high 50's, then drop closer to 50 feet deep. Kokanee stage shallower, in tributary mouths, upper river arms, and warmer, food-rich pockets as they begin to move toward spawning reaches. Good choices include stream mouth Inlets and shallow flats in the Tenmile Creek arm, and Snake River arm, and along trenches and points near the Frisco Peninsula. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during this period.

SUMMER. Downriggers or leaded line are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here, while trolling. Kokanee school up and hang out in 30 to 100 feet deep, over deeper water, usually above some form of structure. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range. They are also caught in 20 to 30 feet of water, early morning and evening around flats and points. Trolling between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed.