Blue Mesa Fishing Report — Lake Fork boat ramp to open soon

Blue Mesa Reservoir Fishing Report:

Blue Mesa Reservoir has risen about 11′ since ice-off  in mid April.  As of right now, the lake elevation is expected to come up 28′ from current levels and either hold steady or drop about 12′ by December of this year.  The Bureau of Reclamation is currently saying that they will not be relying on Blue Mesa for any emergency Lake Powell releases; hopefully, this holds true through 2022.   Elk Creek is currently the only boat ramp open with a dock and is now a two-lane boat ramp!  Iola boat ramp is open but does not have a courtesy dock or break-water so use with caution!  Lake Fork boat ramp is anticipated to open in the May 20 to May 27 range!  Elk Creek Marina and slips and Pappys will not open for 2022.  Lake Fork Marina may still open, but it has not been officially determined yet.  If it does open, it will have a limited number of slips and boat rentals.  Morrow Point Reservoir guided trips are still available at this time.

Trout- fishing has been great on the troll!  Rainbow trout have been caught trolling the top 20′ of the water column and some quality rainbows have been showing up.  Brown trout have been plentiful and biting crankbaits and some salmon squids on the troll, hanging on the edges of structure and drop-offs in the 20-45′ range.  Casting the shorelines with jerkbaits and and jigs has been good some days as well!

Salmon- fishing has been fair to good depending on the day.  The salmon seem to be more active on the windy days.  Most days they are hanging out from the surface to 35′.  Keep an eye on your fish finder for deeper pockets of fish.  Radical glow spinners and Rocky Mountain Tackle Squids, have been most consistent for the kokanee salmon.  Since no marinas are currently open, the best option for tackle in the area is Gene Taylors Sporting goods in Gunnison.  They have a great selection!

Lake Trout-   The laker fishing has been good overall, but the exceptionally windy spring has made some days challenging.  Water temps are starting to push the bigger fish deeper, but the smaller fish still seem to be at all depths.  Covering water and using your electronics to find fish is always key.  Some days it seems hard to find them on your electronics and when this is the case, trolling a variety of baits at a variety of depths can be a great approach for dialing in a pattern.  Lake trout are prolific in Blue Mesa thanks to the variety of food they have to eat and grow, but lake trout of 28″ or bigger usually take 8-12 years to grow to that size and are a valuable resource for any fishery.  Releasing fish that are 28″ or bigger will help ensure that Blue Mesa has a solid population of trophy lake trout for future generations as well as the years to come.

*We are offering guided fishing trips for all species right now!  The pictures below are from some of our trips.

**This Blue Mesa Fishing Report is brought to you by Robby Richardson and his team of guides!  Blue Mesa Fishing offers guided fishing trips for all species!  Robby also specializes in fishing, hunting, and residential real estate in the Gunnison Valley and around the state of Colorado and would love to help you with your real estate needs!

fish took 10 years to reach 30” and then Grew at the .44” per year, that it grew over the last 13 years, it’s age would be roughly 31 years old!! It would take 31 years to replace this incredible resource if it was kept Fortunately, we released this fish and she swam away strong to keep growing and make an incredible memory for somebody else one day!