Fishing High Lakes

The Colorado Rockies are blessed with mountains. It's the highest state in the USA. Winter comes early and spring late in the high country, so lakes freeze as early as late September and thaw as late as early July. That's a short growing season for high lake trout, which will eat everything they can get their mouths around. Or not. Fishing high lakes can be easy, or tough. It just depends on the mood of the lake, and the fish that live there. Stick around. Like Colorado weather, the fishing on high lakes may change in five more minutes.

High lakes are formed when streams get backed up in cirques or by avalanches. Many are quite deep with steep drop-offs, while others have gradual drops, ledges and edges. Shallow lakes are often rich, but occasionally winterkill due to a lack of depth that allows fish to hold over during long, dark winter months. Certain lakes have both inlets and outlets, while others have one or the other. There are also high lakes that are just there, with melting snow filling them during the spring thaw. Beavers make small high lakes, called beaver ponds, which is the topic of a future article.

Many deep lakes hold good populations of trout. In many cases, the reason fish are there is because folks carried trout up the mountain in buckets and stocked them over years and years. The Boulder Fish & Game Club was responsible for stocking lakes on the eastern side of the Continental Divide in Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. I'm grateful for their hard work. It continues today in Rocky Mountain National Park with high lake surveys being taken by a variety of volunteers. And the high lakes continue to thrive.

High lakes dot the Continental Divide and other parts of the high country like so many raindrops on a sidewalk. Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) has its fair share. Many can be reached with an easy hike, while others are better reached by horseback. Take a look at a map of the Park and find a spot that looks good to you. Check at the Park entrance for closed or sterile lakes before making the hike, and to be sure your lake is free of ice! Popular lakes such as Fern, Haiyaha, The Loch and Mills are good spots for a day trip by foot. High lakes at higher elevations such as Thunder Lake are better reached on the back of a horse. (I wonder where Frigid Lake got its name? And how many Lost Lakes are up there, anyway?)

The Indian Peaks Wilderness Area has plenty of lakes. An angler can experience the charm of high lake fishing by visiting Brainard Lake, which is just west of Ward and can be reached by car. In RMNP Lily Lake is also easily accessible and is a fine area to both see and catch Greenback Cutthroat Trout, Colorado's State Fish. There are many high lakes in almost all of the National Forests of Colorado. The only limit is an angler's willingness to explore and wear out shoe leather. Look at a map, pick your spot and take a hike. I say that in a nice way.

Since you'll be hiking, go light. Carry one small box of flies, a spool of 4- or 5X tippet and an extra leader, floatant and sunscreen - it will be bright up there, and a rain jacket because it will probably rain up there, too. A multi-piece fly rod is in order as is a single action reel with fly line to match the rod. Carry a sinking leader for fishing drop-off areas and deeper lakes. Keep it simple. A nipper for changing flies and tippet and a Ketchum Release Tool for releasing fish are a good idea, and they are lightweight. Many hikers carry a compass, matches and some paper if they are not familiar with the area they'll be hiking, and a water bottle with a filter that rids the water of nasty stuff. A cold drink of water is a good thing.

The fly box should have a selection of dry flies such as Elk Hair Caddis, Adams or Parachute Adams, Flying Ants and Beetles. A Royal Coachman Trude works great. A few Hare's Ear nymphs - some with beads, and others without - and Brown Hackle Peacock or Grey Hackle Yellow soft hackles are in order, too. The venerable Renegade and Orange Asher can both be fished either dry or wet, and will often fool high lake-dwelling trout. Carry a few leech patterns as well as a damsel nymph or two, and a streamer pattern such as a Zonker or Black Nosed Dace. They all fool fish. I'd be remiss to exclude a few midge adults, emergers and larvae patterns. The more you go, the more you'll find the flies that work for you.

Fish inlets and outlets, if the lake has them, and drop-offs and other structure such as logs, stumps, rock outcroppings and so on. Anglers should use stealth as they approach a high lake because trout are often cruising and holding right next to the bank, sunning themselves and waiting for something to fall into the water so they can eat. (Don't fall in, okay?) Remember that scared trout don't eat, even when they are hungry trout. If you brought waders, fish along the edges of the lake and parallel to the bank.

When a rising trout is observed, cast in front of the last rise form in hopes the fish will continue swimming in the direction of the fly. If the trout rejects the fly, give it a twitch. If there are no apparent rises and a few searching casts don't evoke a rise, switch to a soft hackle and fish deeper. Move the fly slowly, quickly, and in-between until trout communicate the application of correct movement by eating the fly. Try small flies or large flies. If the fish are not cooperating, stick around because they just might turn on in a few minutes.

Beware the thunderstorms that move quickly across the mountains, and do not be caught unaware. Upon arrival at the lake scout out a safe spot will provide shelter and be ready to move there on a moments notice. After the storm passes return to the lake to fish with flying ants and beetles, which the rain and wind will have knocked into the water. Often, wary fish of a few moments earlier will become frantic eaters, taking full advantage of the chow that has been served.

High lakes are fun to fish. The Brook, Brown and Cutthroat trout that inhabit them are healthy and beautiful. Catching trout in these lovely environs will build lasting memories, and the solitude of high lake fly fishing will refresh an angler's mind and heart.

Go fishing soon, and have a good time.