Fishing Report For Standley Lake, CO

Current Report: Fair To Good

Ice fishing is not permitted on Standley Lake. However, the park is open for fishing during the rest of the year, from sunrise to sunset.

FALL. Late Fall brought even colder temperatures to shallow water, driving walleye and baitfish back toward deeper haunts. Walleye continue to be a major draw for anglers. Locals report catching nice walleye on the west side of the lake, on long points, flats along the creek channels, and structure off shore. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. Early and late in the day finds them in 8 to 12 feet of water, mid day they hold 15 to 28 feet deep. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs is catching walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be slightly deeper than the majority of the school.

WINTER. Ice fishing is not permitted on Standley Lake.

SPRING. Early Spring brings warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye here to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. In Spring work points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges, flats and flats adjacent to deeper water. Good areas to explore include the shallow rock ledges and points from Coyote Gulch Campground to the big island. Here, in 6 to 15 feet deep, they will spawn once the water warms to the mid to high 40's. When they move shallow, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also working when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 12 to 20 feet deep around creek inlets, shallow rock reefs, windblown rocky points and flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore. They often stay in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs are producing nice fish.

SUMMER. Water temperatures rise in Summer, and walleye fishing is good if you can get your bait deep enough. Early in the day, and again at dusk, walleye tend to concentrate in 6 to 15 feet of water. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. The rest of the time they are cruising flats and creek channel edges, 18 to 35 feet deep , preferring the cooler temperatures. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically catch walleye.

Current Report: Fair

Standley Lake is reported to be a decent smallmouth bass fishery. Locals here are focusing on rocky shorelines and points.

FALL. Late Fall is in full swing and smallmouth have followed schools of baitfish out of coves and bays into deeper water, 18 to 30 feet deep. They thrive in the cold, clean water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Fishing shallow for smallmouth is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days.

WINTER. Winter will isolate them around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. Ice fishing is not permitted on Standley Lake. Before, and after the ice, they can generally be found from 20 to 45 feet deep. Good areas to find smallies in Winter include mid-lake channel edges in the main basin, and deeper banks around the dam. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs tend to temp smallmouth in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. After ice out, when water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 4 to 15 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 8 to 20 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Deep-diving crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass are currently feeding shallow early and late in the day in 4 to 12 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 15 to 30 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some steady action. Anglers fishing the deeper rocky edges, around the island, and mid-lake humps, are reporting good catches.

Current Report: Fair

Rainbow trout are stocked in Standley Lake. These stocked trout are small catchable's - about 10", but after a year of growth, they achieve decent size.

FALL. In early Fall, cooling water temperatures in the shallows, drew rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. As late Fall works its way to Winter, the trout are returning to deeper water. Good catches are coming from rock flats outside the North Cove, points around the boat ramp, and channel edges in the main basin. Anglers are now catching them 15 to 20 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. Ice fishing is not permitted on Standley Lake. When Winter sets in jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 15 to 40 feet of water. Before and after the ice, 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 15 feet deep. Shallow flats and points outside coves along the western shore, are popular areas to work in Spring. 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 35 feet deep, occasionally deeper. At dawn and dusk they may feed for short periods in 6 to 10 feet of water. 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.