Fishing Report
Flat Tops Fishing Report (05/06/13)
**This is an abbreviated report since access to the waters in the Flat Tops is limited by the remaining snow in the area.
Flat Tops Rivers and Streams:
The North Fork of the White River produces some very nice cutthroats, rainbows and whitefish; some in the 16-18 inch range. Downstream, toward Meeker, 24 inchers are not uncommon. Closer to Trappers Lake, the fishing for brookies is excellent. The North Fork has been on fire for the last couple of weeks. The run-off will likely be picking up speed in the coming weeks, but the river is running low and generally clear for now. This year’s run-off figures to be much more significant than last year’s, so we recommend spending some time on the rivers and streams sooner than later.
Anglers are having excellent success with BWO emergers (#18-#22), copper johns (#18-22) and stimulators (#16-#18). We’re seeing some caddis as well and a streamer would be a solid choice. Access on the North Fork is somewhat limited, but the public water within the forest boundaries is not heavily fished. Be sure to respect private property boundaries. Most are well-marked.
The South Fork of the White River offers more public access than the North Fork, especially for those willing to do a little walking. The South Fork Trail follows the river for about 24 miles. The trail is an easy to moderate walk and is well-traveled by hikers and horseback riders, but most fisherman don’t venture more than a few hundred yards from the campground, so don’t be deterred if the trailhead parking lot is busy.
No report from the South Fork this week.
Flat Tops Lakes:
Over 100 fishable lakes are just a hike or trail ride away from Ripple Creek Lodge. Here’s what we’re hearing about some of the gems…
Nearly all of the higher elevation lakes in the area are still snowed in and/or iced over. We expect to see ice off and more accessibility by early June. You can’t go wrong if you hit Trappers Lake just after ice off.
Guests at Ripple Creek Lodge are Saying…
Jeff Burrows
4/20/13
“Trip was EPIC! River conditions couldn't have been better - low crystal clear flows and tons of hungry hogs. All you needed was a red copper john with a BWO emerger trailing it and it was fish on! Brought my buddy from Durango up there who just started fly fishing about a year ago and got him into a nice 24". I'll be looking for that guy again this summer when he's closer to 26"! The first pic is my buddy with the 24" cuttbow and the second is me and a football rainbow that had been gorging so hard on BWO's that his belly was about to explode. Anyway, it was an absolute blast and I can't wait to get back up there - probably the first or second week of June - gotta be up there for Trappers ice-off.”
Wow, we're looking forward to what you guys bring in in June.
Catching Some Air on Pagoda Peak
The Beaver Ponds
