Planning on taking a trip up near Vail. I've fly fished for trout before in Colorado but with limited success. Is there decent bass fishing within an hour or two? Guides?

Nothing within 2-3 hours of Vail I'm aware of. Closest would be the Yampa R West of Steamboat Springs for smallmouth with a guide due to private property.

Thx Tx! I just cant get fired up about fly fishing for 6 inch fish...trout or any other fish that small.

Until you catch a 30” trout on a fly. Makes you more of a fan!

I worked up there several summers. I caught several five pond trout on spinning gear when the fly guys were catching smalls. South Platte river in Park county had lots of access and big fish.

Man you’re a Texan, you don’t go to CO for fishing! I left that place after a year because the fishing is pathetic. I wouldn’t even waste a second trying to make something happen that’s really not there.

Pm me Chris if you have time to fill me in on a little more info! I appreciate it!


Right about being a Texan! Not going "just for the fishing". Taking the wife up for a week just to get the hell outta dodge after being locked up. Golf, hiking, river runs, and fishing! IF I can get in on some of that action Chris B is talking about!

If you’re a golfer, treat yourself to Bear Dance, just watch the monster Elk as you miss your 3 ft putt! Beautiful place!

I agree on the South Platte River. Throw a black Rooster Tail 1/8 oz on light spinning gear. 24" Rainbow on that set up is a fun catch. Good luck

Leave the bass gear at home and take an ultra light spinning rod with 4lb test. Last time I was in vail, the fishing was great on panther martins, and blue fox spinners in the rivers in the area. Have always caught really nice fish in most of the small lakes throughout the state. The local fishing shops have always been very helpful no matter what part of the state we were in.

take some heavy bass tackle and hard swim baits, find a guide on the yampa out of steamboat or craig for pike, 60" are not uncommon on the river.

blue river north of silverthorne, quite a few pullouts, one about 7-8 miles up (long parking area) always had good fish and numbers if you can figure the pattern.
farther north, kremmling, east, public access to the colorado river, make real sure of the regs. for the section you fish as they can be different. most are no barb.

go to copper mt. and go south to leadville, twin lakes and the creeks out, there should be some beaver ponds just off the interstate east of copper, used to hold some cutthroat and rainbow.

silverthorne factory stores/blue river, catch and release only, have caught a few browns there over 7# on yellow coachdog roostertail (fished it on the way to or from work a lot). good fly shop just north of the usfs offices (don't remember the name) if they are still there buy what they recommend, always did good on their suggestions.

if you really want to be adventurous, north of silverthorne about 12 miles or so is a road that goes east to a molybdenum mine, if you can still go right at the top on forest service road there are some awesome beaver ponds with native cutthroat and rainbow. make sure you can legally access them.

north farther is green mt. reservoir, blue river going in has some big rainbow, right at the mouth to about 1/2 mile south was always good water (lived on the lake for 5 yrs.).


lived in colorado for 20 yrs. take some caddis, large skeeter and med skeeter along with some nymphs. caddis should be hatching pretty regular in the afternoons about now.

forgot williams creek reservoir, just east of kremmling, can be banked fished for pike, lake trout, kokanee.

spinning gear and large rooster tails/mepps for pike and maybe a lake trout, kokanee and rainbow on smaller spinners like a 1/8 roostertail. cool little lake to just hang at too.

If you are going to take a fly stick and fish moving water, I can help there, just PM me. Lots of options with Gore Creek, the Eagle, Piney (a great numbers / learning stream), etc

Good info boys! I appreciate it!!

if want to do some trout fishing try the frying pan. Beautiful scenary, remote and good fishing.