Fishing Report For Shadow Mountain Lake, CO

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but rainbow trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers are now catching them 5 to 15 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. Later in Autumn, they move into 15 to 25 feet of water.

WINTER. When Winter sets in, jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching rainbows out of 15 to 30 feet of water. After ice out, deep trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, are the best approach during the cold-water season.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to shallow, warmer water 3 to 15 feet deep. 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.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 15 to 20 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: Good To Very Good

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw browns shallower. Successful anglers are catching them 5 to 10 feet deep on points, rocky structure, humps, and mouths of bays where baitfish are gathering. 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, ice jigs, and jigs tipped with bait are catching most limits of brown trout, in 20 to 45 feet of water.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, brown trout move from their deep winter holding areas to shallow, warmer water, especially into inflowing water. The most productive fishing is happening from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. A wide variety of small spinners, jerkbaits and flukes are catching most of the fish.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives brown trout deeper, 20 to 45 feet deep, and deeper. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallow during these low-light conditions. Trolling around structure, using downriggers or leaded line, and 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: Fair To Good

Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but brook trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait. The diet of a brook trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. Flies or small lures, imitating their natural food, are tempting them into biting. Flies, small spinners, small swimbaits, salmon eggs, worms, corn and powerbait are all catching brookies.

FALL. As the weather begins to cool in Fall, brookies are getting more active in shallow to mid depth-range depths. They are being caught on virtually any trout lure, from spinners shallow, to crankbaits in 5 to 10 foot of water, and spoons from 5 to 15 feet deep.

WINTER. As the lake freezes over, brook trout search the shoreline for food, and ice fishing close to shore, in 10 feet or less, is catching decent numbers.

SPRING. Expect to find brook trout in 5 to 10 feet of water in Spring, where anglers are catching them on spinners and flatfish.

SUMMER. Seeking water temperatures in the mid to high 50's, brook trout migrate deeper in Summer, often around the thermocline. Brook trout are being caught by trolling with downriggers or leaded line, using a variety of lures and baits.