Gazette Article - How To Properly Handle Trout!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
A Fly Fisher's First Time Ice Fishing
I recently had the experience of ice fishing for the first time. Turns out it was more fun than I expected! I hear that there's a few weeks of "safe ice", and that we have some good guys at Colorado Tackle Pro eager to teach. Follow this link to read my Gazette column about our adventure!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Photos Of Kleis's Mysis Glowing In The Dark
Yep, they glow in the dark. Bring your uv lamp and brighten up a trout's day, or night, on a tailwater near you!
For the complete recipe and tying video follow this link! If you like our website please show your support by subscribing and following us on Facebook. If you don't tie and would rather purchase Kleis's Mysis they are available. You can purchase them by sending your requests to jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com Cost is $3.00 per fly with a minimum order of a dozen. Sizes range from 14-10 in orange, black, red, and purple eyes. These are tied on high quality Tiemco hooks by me right here in Colorado Springs. Thanks for your support and tight Lines!
For the complete recipe and tying video follow this link! If you like our website please show your support by subscribing and following us on Facebook. If you don't tie and would rather purchase Kleis's Mysis they are available. You can purchase them by sending your requests to jonkleisflyfishing@yahoo.com Cost is $3.00 per fly with a minimum order of a dozen. Sizes range from 14-10 in orange, black, red, and purple eyes. These are tied on high quality Tiemco hooks by me right here in Colorado Springs. Thanks for your support and tight Lines!
Friday, February 21, 2014
Kristen's Log Fish on the Blue River
It was a gorgeous winter day on The Blue, a perfect day to “wet a line” as my husband would say. Snow covered the banks and the water glistened like a thousand pieces of glass reflecting the sunlight. I am always amazed when such a beautiful place is surrounded by a large town such as Silverthorne. People walking by you on their way to a shop, surprise showing in their eyes that you are fishing and filling a net rather than a shopping bag. But Colorado is known for it’s treasure troves; proving that nature still winds her watery fingers through the cement human footprints we are so quick to leave.
I slowly walked into the cool water, thankful for my wool socks and ready to take my turn at these colorful and intelligent fish. Occasionally looking back to see my three year old try her hand at the sport with her makeshift toddler fly rod. Jon sitting next to her taking a break after catching a beautifully spotted lake trout. Many people ask how we are able to bring our toddler on these adventures and our secret is simple, we take turns fishing and spend the rest of the time enjoying nature. Whether that means playing in rocks or making snowballs, our little girl loves being outdoors and I think it is in large part because of these adventures. I hope she never looses that feeling. In our family, fishing seems to run in our veins.
The water was crystal clear and my focus quickly went back to my own rod, feeling the line roll off my cast and waiting for a subtle sign of interest. I am told that the pressure on these fish have made them quite smart, “tight lipped” to quote a few anglers, and I put my wits to the test in this game we call fishing. After quite a few drifts, there is still no sign of triumph and then BAM! No it wasn’t my line reacting to a strike, or my indicator making an unnatural fish twitch for which I was ready. It was a feeling of something hitting my left calf with a good amount of force. I looked down with a mixture of confusion and shock to see a long brownish green figure in the water by my leg. As I stifled a scream and tried to swallow my heart which was now in the back of my throat, I realized that the figure was simply a 4 ft long log making its own trip down river. I wasn’t being eaten by a monster, and I wouldn’t loose my leg…trust me I’m a nurse. As I held my hand over my chest and took some deep breaths I looked up to see my husband with the camera in his hands, laughter in his eyes, and the hugest grin on his face. Yes I admit, it must have looked a little ridiculous to watch me react that way to a piece of wood. I guess I was so dialed into watching for fish that my mind couldn’t comprehend that other things could be swimming by. After a few laughs, we got back to fishing and had a wonderful time exploring The Blue. But I have to admit that the fish story I will likely remember from this particular trip will be the one featuring a 4 ft long “log fish.” Until the next adventure, Tight Lines!
I slowly walked into the cool water, thankful for my wool socks and ready to take my turn at these colorful and intelligent fish. Occasionally looking back to see my three year old try her hand at the sport with her makeshift toddler fly rod. Jon sitting next to her taking a break after catching a beautifully spotted lake trout. Many people ask how we are able to bring our toddler on these adventures and our secret is simple, we take turns fishing and spend the rest of the time enjoying nature. Whether that means playing in rocks or making snowballs, our little girl loves being outdoors and I think it is in large part because of these adventures. I hope she never looses that feeling. In our family, fishing seems to run in our veins.
The water was crystal clear and my focus quickly went back to my own rod, feeling the line roll off my cast and waiting for a subtle sign of interest. I am told that the pressure on these fish have made them quite smart, “tight lipped” to quote a few anglers, and I put my wits to the test in this game we call fishing. After quite a few drifts, there is still no sign of triumph and then BAM! No it wasn’t my line reacting to a strike, or my indicator making an unnatural fish twitch for which I was ready. It was a feeling of something hitting my left calf with a good amount of force. I looked down with a mixture of confusion and shock to see a long brownish green figure in the water by my leg. As I stifled a scream and tried to swallow my heart which was now in the back of my throat, I realized that the figure was simply a 4 ft long log making its own trip down river. I wasn’t being eaten by a monster, and I wouldn’t loose my leg…trust me I’m a nurse. As I held my hand over my chest and took some deep breaths I looked up to see my husband with the camera in his hands, laughter in his eyes, and the hugest grin on his face. Yes I admit, it must have looked a little ridiculous to watch me react that way to a piece of wood. I guess I was so dialed into watching for fish that my mind couldn’t comprehend that other things could be swimming by. After a few laughs, we got back to fishing and had a wonderful time exploring The Blue. But I have to admit that the fish story I will likely remember from this particular trip will be the one featuring a 4 ft long “log fish.” Until the next adventure, Tight Lines!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Quick Fishing Report For The South Platte and Arkansas River
It's been a great winter so far! Flows have been consistently fishable throughout the South Platte drainage from Spinney to Deckers, and the fishing has been great. Try to avoid the weekends when possible, especially on Deckers and the Pueblo tailwater, and I think you'll notice that even Elevenmile Canyon fills up pretty quick. Great fly patterns to carry are: Apricot eggs, Flashback Barr's Emergers BWO size 22-24, Black Beauties size 22-26, Kleis's Mojo Midge in black and olive size 22-24, Parachute Adams size 24-26, Matt's Midge size 22-24. Also, 6x tippet and smaller split shot are still pretty standard despite the great flows. The water is still extremely clear in most cases. If you're fishing the Pueblo tailwater be prepared to cover a lot of ground, and expect crowding to be an issue as you get closer to the dam.
Deckers/Cheesman Canyon - 179 c.f.s.
Elevenmile Canyon - 128 c.f.s.
Dream Stream - 125 c.f.s.
Pueblo tailwater - 71 c.f.s.
Arkansas River at Salida - 245 c.f.s.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish - Review
Is it weird to write a review about a book that you contributed to? Maybe... Truth be told, I'm just really excited to be a part of this project. It's surreal to have two chapters in a book about my favorite places to fish right after Pat Dorsey's chapter. I started out fly fishing hanging on to every word in books and magazine articles by the Pat Dorseys and Ed Engles of the world, so it's extremely humbling to open a book and see my name next to one of theirs. To say I was excited before I even saw the book is one thing, actually having it in my hands, I can say that the excitement has multiplied exponentially.
So what is the book, and what types of information can you find in it? Each chapter is loaded with helpful tips about the best tailwaters in the country, and it comes from the guides that make their living on the water. You can literally find anything, from a brief history of each location, to things such as the best times of year to fish, what types of insects are present, fly patterns to bring, appropriate gear to bring, maps of the fishing spots, and the list goes on. Each chapter even goes so far as to list the best restaurants, hotels, and fly shops located within reasonable driving distance.
At first, I think it will take a few readers by surprise how small the chapters are. The next surprise will be when they start reading, and realize just how much information is crammed into each chapter. If it weren't for the intrigue created by drool-worthy photos of places I want to visit, 50 Best would be hard to sit down and read for a extended period of time without getting stunned by information overload. It may sound negative putting it that way, but trust me, information overload from a fishing book is a very good thing!
There have been instances where I've picked up a book about fishing, started reading it, and quickly realized that it doesn't have a soul. That's not a problem with 50 B.T.W. Terry and Wendy Gunn did a fantastic job of putting this book together, and it's evident from the first page turn that they, and the other contributing authors, care a great deal about tailwater fly fishing and the content that went into 50 Best. Examples of this are found in the friendly acknowledgment by Terry and Wendy to the guides/contributors, to the foreword by the legendary Lefty Kreh, to the photos they chose to use, and the layout of the book in general.
50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish is the kind of reference that anglers with the urge to explore can throw in their glove box, and use to find success in major tailwaters across the country. And this is regardless of whether or not they've fished a destination before. Anybody serious about tailwater fly fishing should have 50 Best in their library. Click here, or stop by Anglers Covey fly shop on the corner of Highway 24 and 21st street in Colorado Springs, and discover for yourself why it just became the number one fly fishing title on Amazon!
Click here for a great video and more information about 50 Best!
So what is the book, and what types of information can you find in it? Each chapter is loaded with helpful tips about the best tailwaters in the country, and it comes from the guides that make their living on the water. You can literally find anything, from a brief history of each location, to things such as the best times of year to fish, what types of insects are present, fly patterns to bring, appropriate gear to bring, maps of the fishing spots, and the list goes on. Each chapter even goes so far as to list the best restaurants, hotels, and fly shops located within reasonable driving distance.
At first, I think it will take a few readers by surprise how small the chapters are. The next surprise will be when they start reading, and realize just how much information is crammed into each chapter. If it weren't for the intrigue created by drool-worthy photos of places I want to visit, 50 Best would be hard to sit down and read for a extended period of time without getting stunned by information overload. It may sound negative putting it that way, but trust me, information overload from a fishing book is a very good thing!
There have been instances where I've picked up a book about fishing, started reading it, and quickly realized that it doesn't have a soul. That's not a problem with 50 B.T.W. Terry and Wendy Gunn did a fantastic job of putting this book together, and it's evident from the first page turn that they, and the other contributing authors, care a great deal about tailwater fly fishing and the content that went into 50 Best. Examples of this are found in the friendly acknowledgment by Terry and Wendy to the guides/contributors, to the foreword by the legendary Lefty Kreh, to the photos they chose to use, and the layout of the book in general.
50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish is the kind of reference that anglers with the urge to explore can throw in their glove box, and use to find success in major tailwaters across the country. And this is regardless of whether or not they've fished a destination before. Anybody serious about tailwater fly fishing should have 50 Best in their library. Click here, or stop by Anglers Covey fly shop on the corner of Highway 24 and 21st street in Colorado Springs, and discover for yourself why it just became the number one fly fishing title on Amazon!
Click here for a great video and more information about 50 Best!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Colorado Chill
I took Ruben and his brother fishing after thanksgiving on the tail-end of a massive cold front, and he expressed an interest in shooting a video with his go pro camera. I made sure to keep the clients happy, so I brought my cameras, and a few weeks after the trip I was able to send him what I shot -not that he needed it. The fishing was really slow that day, so there's limited fish porn, but what he did in editing was really cool! Even cooler is the effort that he put into just making a short video. I had to give him a shout out, and share this with you guys, so here it is...
If you enjoyed Ruben's video be sure to follow this link and subscribe to his youtube channel! He's got a great video on there that he did steelhead fishing in Washington!
If you enjoyed Ruben's video be sure to follow this link and subscribe to his youtube channel! He's got a great video on there that he did steelhead fishing in Washington!
Colorado Springs Maps And Info For Carp Fishing - Pikeview Reservoir
Warning: The information provided is subject to change. Stocking programs change, the ecology of the lakes change, and the list goes on... We will do our best to provide you with updates as new info comes in.
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Pikeview is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Spotted Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Yellow Perch - 20
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
European Rudd - unlimited
This is another place where goldfish/koi can be found. Also, Tiger Musky were present at one point, and still could be. I have not seen any musky, and I have fished here a ton for them. I got report that the musky put in the reservoir a while ago were sterile, so I imagine a predatory fish like that would get fished out pretty quick from a place that gets as much pressure from anglers as Pikeview does.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Damsels
Beetles
Ants - TONS of ants...
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent here. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Pikeview's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
Crawfish - TONS of crawfish...
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Pikeview is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Spotted Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Yellow Perch - 20
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
European Rudd - unlimited
This is another place where goldfish/koi can be found. Also, Tiger Musky were present at one point, and still could be. I have not seen any musky, and I have fished here a ton for them. I got report that the musky put in the reservoir a while ago were sterile, so I imagine a predatory fish like that would get fished out pretty quick from a place that gets as much pressure from anglers as Pikeview does.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Damsels
Beetles
Ants - TONS of ants...
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent here. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Pikeview's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
Crawfish - TONS of crawfish...
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Colorado Springs Maps And Info For Carp Fishing - Quail Lake
Warning: The information provided is subject to change. Stocking programs change, the ecology of the lakes change, and the list goes on... We will do our best to provide you with updates as new info comes in.
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Quail Lake is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
Northern Pike - unlimited
European Rudd - unlimited
Literally the same fish species that can be found in Propect lake and Pikeview reservoir are found here, and there could very well be more! This is the only body of water out of the three that I know for certain has Northern Pike.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Caddis
Damsels
Beetles
Ants
Hoppers
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent there. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Quail's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
Crawfish
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Quail Lake is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
Northern Pike - unlimited
European Rudd - unlimited
Literally the same fish species that can be found in Propect lake and Pikeview reservoir are found here, and there could very well be more! This is the only body of water out of the three that I know for certain has Northern Pike.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Caddis
Damsels
Beetles
Ants
Hoppers
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent there. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Quail's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
Crawfish
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Colorado Springs Maps And Info For Carp Fishing - Prospect Lake
Warning: The information provided is subject to change. Stocking programs change, the ecology of the lakes change, and the list goes on... We will do our best to provide you with updates as new info comes in.
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Prospect Lake is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
These are just the species my friends and I have caught, and there could very well be more! I have even noticed over the last couple of years that someone thought it would be cute to release koi/goldfish into the lake, and they are there in surprising numbers.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Damsels
Ants
Beetles
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent there. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Prospect's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
The only crustacean that I know of is the crawfish. I have talked to people who have used scud shrimp and landed fish, but I don't know if scuds were put there by the CDOW after they last drained and relined the lake. I will keep you guys posted if I find out otherwise.
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
Regulations: All statewide limits apply. We have taken the liberty of posting those limits next to the present fish species listed below. Bow hunting for carp inside city limits is illegal! I will turn you in if I see you shooting my pets.
Prospect Lake is a typical Colorado Springs stillwater fishery. By this I mean that it is fed by city water, is fairly shallow, and many different cold and warm water fish species call it home. All three major lakes (Prospect, Quail, and Pikeview) are what I like to call "mutt" lakes. By this I mean that -depending on the time of year- these lakes are home to so many different fish species it can be hard to tell what's on the end of your line. This list includes...
Rainbow Trout - 4
Snake River Cutthroat Trout - 4
Largemouth Bass - 5
Wiper - 10
Striped Bass - 10
Walleye - 5
Saugeye - 5
Channel Catfish - 10
Black Bullhead Catfish - unlimited
Green Sunfish - 20
Bluegill - 20
Black Crappie - 20
Hybrid Grass Carp - unlimited
Common Carp - unlimited
These are just the species my friends and I have caught, and there could very well be more! I have even noticed over the last couple of years that someone thought it would be cute to release koi/goldfish into the lake, and they are there in surprising numbers.
Of course, where there are thriving fish there is a ton of food in the form of insects, crustaceans, and forage fish. These food options include...
Insects:
Chironomids
Callibaetis
Damsels
Ants
Beetles
And probably more! These are just the hatches and terrestrials I've witnessed during my time spent there. Literally, chironomids start coming off the moment the reservoir is free of ice, and the callibaetis and damsels start earlier as well. This is due to Prospect's lower elevation compared to the more popular places such as Elevenmile and Spinney.
Crustaceans:
The only crustacean that I know of is the crawfish. I have talked to people who have used scud shrimp and landed fish, but I don't know if scuds were put there by the CDOW after they last drained and relined the lake. I will keep you guys posted if I find out otherwise.
Forage Fish:
Gizzard Shad
Golden Shiner
The only other potential food source I can think of is the resident fish species themselves. Yes, they do eat each other...
Guide Tip: You will start to see clouds of black bullhead catfish fingerlings around late June/early July. These giant schools of baby catfish stay shallow because they make for easy targets for predatory fish. You will notice that as the size of the fish in these schools get larger, the size of the schools get smaller. The other fish in the lake really key in on these little guys, and it's a great time to toss a dark olive or black colored wooly bugger. Black also seems to be a good color for common carp during this time.
Click on the boxes and interest points on the map to learn about each spot! To better avoid the annoying white information box click on the full screen icon on the upper right corner of the map!
Enjoy and please subscribe to keep this website going!
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