Guide Kevin Egloff of South Platte Anglers said with the abundance of water, these lakes are in prime shape going into this fishing season.

Spinney Mountain Reservoir always provides opportunities for big trout. Egloff said that on average, his clients bring to the net about 20 to 25 trout that average 18 to 20 inches.

Antero Reservoir was recently re-opened after being closed for several years because of the drought. Egloff reports that last year’s fishing was excellent for some hogs, and they hooked some ‘bows up to 10 pounds.

Although the “Antero frenzy” is expected to die some, he still expects success to continue this year.

The tailwaters below Spinney and Cheesman reservoirs are also in excellent shape and offer prime Gold Medal Water that boast excellent numbers of 18- to 22-inch browns, ‘bows and cutts. It’s not uncommon to hook several of them in a day’s fishing.

The tailwater below Eleven Mile Reservoir is also in prime shape and offers visiting anglers an average of 3,000 trout per river mile.

The Arkansas River offers 125 miles of free-flowing fishable water. Rod Patch, owner of Arkanglers Fly Shop, said that overall, the Arkansas is in excellent shape: “It’s one of the best brown trout fisheries in the Rocky Mountain region.”

Trout density is high. They’re averaging about 12 to 13 inches, and the browns are wild, hard-fighting fish. The most recent CDOW creel showed there are approximately 5,000 per mile swimming these waters.

THE SOUTHWEST
Although the southwest part of the state is often overlooked, it offers some true trout-fishing gems. The first is the scenic Conejos River.

According to CDOW Aquatic Biologist John Alves, the Conejos has a good supply of wild browns, especially in the fly-only section, and he expects anglers to do really well this year.

Alves is seeing bigger browns and more of them, so come prepared to catch some trout. The most recent surveys show about 1,500 trout per mile. Although this sampling is a few years old, it should still give you an idea of what the Conejos has to offer visitors this year.

Just a few miles to the north are the Gold Medal waters of the Rio Grande. Thomas Chacon of the Duranglers Fly Shop said it offers some of the best dry-fly action in Colorado. “If you like to throw big dries, then you need to fish this bug factory,” he said.

In his experience, 14-inchers are the norm, but there are plenty of 18-inch studs. If water levels continue to increase, he expects another good bite on the Rio this year.

Just over Wolf Creek Pass to the west is the Animas River, which just might be the crown jewel of the southwest.

Chacon spends a lot of time here and said that on the whole, the river is in great shape and reported above-average flows this past season.

The river is filled with 12- to 14-inch trout. However, if anglers are looking for some of the big-headed variety, then the seven-mile stretch flowing through Durango is a good place to start. This is where some of the best river structure is located, and those 18-inch browns and ‘bows love to swim there.

The latest CDOW creel survey shows nearly 150 trout per acre, with more than 30 of them being 14 inches or longer. With numbers like this, you can expect some good hookups on the Animas this year.