Fishing Report For Taylor Park Reservoir, CO

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more rainbow trout. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently the best way to locate trout, especially when they school in deep water. Rainbows are caught trolling, casting or jigging, once located on these sophisticated fish finders.

There are plenty of bragging size rainbows here, with 16 inch fish caught with some regularity. The diet of these rainbow trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. Use flies or small lures, imitating their natural food, to tempt them into biting. Small spinners, spoons, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits catch rainbows, as do salmon eggs and prepared baits.

WINTER. Now that Winter has sets in, jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 15 to 30 feet of water. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, near the dam, and along deep channel troughs. Trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, have been the best approach during the early, cold-water season. Ice fishing for rainbows was decent last Winter, and is expected to be good again this year in 15 to 25 feet of water. 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 15 to 25 feet of water. 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. Texas Creek and Willow Creek creek inlet areas, shallow coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. Late Spring finds them feeding in 20 to 30 feet of water, after they spawn. 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, 25 to 50 feet deep, occasionally deeper. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. In summer trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, above humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Early and late in the day they feed in 15 to 20 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 15 to 30 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats in the upper regions of the lake. Rainbows also feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish gather. Now that these trout have 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 25 to 30 feet of water.

Current Fishing Report: Good

Brown trout can be very aggressive, and put up a good battle. These browns are more aggressive than rainbows, and will attack larger lures - especially jerkbaits.

WINTER. Winter has set in, and anglers have been catching a few browns prior to the lake freezing over. Jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait are catching most limits of brown trout, in 20 to 45 feet of water. Once the ice is safe, ice fishing is quite popular here, using the same baits. After ice out, trolling, drift fishing and jigging spoons all work well. Popular areas include channel edges around long points. 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. They are found early in the season around 15 to 25 feet deep. 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 shallow flats - 10 to 20 feet deep. Some of the most productive fishing happens from mid morning to late afternoon, on mid-depth humps. Later in Spring, browns prefer water 25 to 45 feet deep.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives brown trout deeper, 25 to 45 feet deep, and deeper. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallower in these low-light conditions, usually in 15 to 25 feet of water. Trolling around river channel ledges and structure, using downriggers or leaded line, or drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Popular areas include outside the mouths of the Willow Creek and Texas Creek arms. Anglers fishing from the bank are using fairly heavy weights, on a Carolina rig to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw browns shallower. Successful anglers are catching them early in the season 15 to 30 feet deep on points, rocky structure, humps, and mouths of bays where baitfish are gathering. The inlet of the Taylor River is a hot spot in Fall. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallower. Brown trout spawn in the Fall, usually starting in October. Decent catches are report 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.

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

WINTER. Pike remain active in Winter, often congregating in or near remaining weedbeds, especially along the edges. Other structure options include long points, reefs, ledge drop-offs, and rocky humps, ideally nearby deeper water. Ice fishing for northerns last winter was quite good, with some big northerns caught on spoons and baited jigs. With ice season just starting, look for them 10 feet, or down to 30 feet in some areas with good drop offs. They are being caught using baited tip-ups, keeping the bait a few feet above the bottom. The ice fishing season was good here last winter, and should be again this year. At times, when oxygen is depleted in deeper water, northerns suspend directly under the ice, where maximum oxygen is available. Other times they hold on structure in deeper water.

SPRING. Once the ice melts, anglers report catching northern pike in the shallows on flashy lures. For many decades the Johnson Spoon has been a deadly bait for northerns, especially when tipped with a white, or bright colored trailer. Jerkbaits, big spinners, swimbaits all catch northerns here. As the water warms, noisy topwater baits like the Whopper Flopper are a good choice. Once water temperatures reach around 40 degrees, they move into even shallower areas with vegetation, to spawn. Ideal depths are around 10 feet deep. Big pike stage on points, shallow flats and inside coves. Bays around the mouths of the Taylor River are classic spawning grounds. After spawning they linger in the shallow bays for a short period. Once water temperatures rise into the 50's, they move to deeper weedbeds and shallow structures 10 to 20 feet deep, adjacent to even deeper water.

SUMMER. Northern pike scatter all around the lake, rather than gather in groups. This makes them difficult to locate. During the day they are holding shallow around weed beds in 10 to 15 feet of water, or up to 30 feet deep on ledges, reefs, rock piles, islands and channel edges. Some of the larger specimens are suspending in open water, just outside shallow feeding areas. Trolling or drift fishing produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners, cut bait, and deep diving crankbaits. Early and late in the day, they move shallow to feed and can be caught around most weedy shorelines, in 5 to 8 feet of water. A good option is the weedbeds off the west and southwest shoreline. Spinnerbaits, noisy topwater lures, and Johnson spoons with curly-tail grubs, catch nice pike when they are shallow.

FALL. As the weather starts turning cold, water temperatures cool fastest in the shallows. This brings schools of shad into shallower water, and northerns follow this food source. They hang around weedbed edges, main-lake points, reefs, and rocky shorelines to ambush prey in 10 to 15 feet of water. This is a prime feeding time, as they prepare for winter. After feeding, they hold on drop-offs and structure 20 to 30 feet deep. It is also a good time to catch a trophy pike.