Every April, hundreds of anglers rise early in the morning and sit in their cars and trucks waiting for the fabled Spinney Mountain Reservoir to open for the season. I’ll for sure be tying some of his chironomid patterns tonight. I can stick the inflated tube in the back of my small pickup truck and be on the water in a matter of minutes when I get to the reservoir. Check the Conditions page for all current information and see the Park Map for other important details. Most veterans of Spinney Mountain Reservoir advise against using floats though, as the winds are unpredictable, and storms have a habit of springing up suddenly. Yes, the fishing at Spinney Reservoir is so storied and and so legendary that locals and fishing tourists alike line up before the sun rises to get in and get on the water first. Here are the special rules for fishing at Spinney Mountain Reservoir: - All trailered/gas boats must undergo inspection for invasive species prior to launch and before exiting the reservoir, - Artificial flies or lures only-Bag/Possession Limit: 1 trout, 20" or longer-No fishing from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. When he hit the water after the aerial display he headed straight for me. Copyright 2020 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. You know the rest of the story. I fooled around trying this fly and that until I remembered a pattern that had worked for me in the early season a number of years ago. The trout got off and a nearby float tuber commented, “That one sure liked dancing.”, The wind came up shortly thereafter forcing me to head for shore. Fishing is prohibited from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise. The rather large rainbow trout that had taken the fly immediately got airborne to the tune of about four or five feet. Ed Engle’s blog, The Lone Angler Journal, is a different A few to check out are listed below. Visit our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in Colorado. I thought I might be able to catch a few trout rising to the emerging Chironomids, but that has always been a tough game on Spinney Mountain Reservoir and it was even tougher because not that many trout were rising. . A tapered 9-foot leader, with tippet size 3X to 6X to match the flies you are throwing, is pretty standard. Campsites are also available at the Chaparral General Store Campground located just outside of Spinney Mountain's Park entrance. World Class Gold Medal trout fishing awaits you at Spinney Mountain Reservoir. occasionally spills over into the joy of just being outside no matter what he’s Repeat visitors to the reservoir find that boating improves their chances of catching that giant rainbow they’ve been after for years. Looking for more places to fish? It would be hard to find any that is better in such a peaceful and scenic setting. Early morning "flat" water on Spinney Mountain Reservoir. That doesn’t mean that it won’t calm down toward evening, but I usually pack up and head to a nearby river or stream to pass the afternoon hours. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. If the indicator is just “nervous” I try to hang on and wait for a more authoritative take. Spinney Mountain Reservoir sits an at elevation of 8680 feet. I nonchalantly cast my two-fly rig out armed with this fly pattern and another gray midge larvae pattern with a tungsten bead for weight and it wasn't long before the indicator went down, stayed down and I set up. __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"62516":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default Palette","value":{"colors":{"62516":{"val":"var(--tcb-skin-color-0)"}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Spinney Mountain Reservoir in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing Cochetopa Creek in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Florida River in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Crystal River in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing South Boulder Creek in Colorado, DIY Guide to Fly Fishing the Elk River in Colorado. Everything went according to plan when I launched my new float tube on Spinney Mountain Reservoir early yesterday morning. Fly pattern recommendations for Spinney Mountain Reservoir include: A 9-foot 5-wt fly rod with floating line is perfect for fishing dry flies and small nymphs on the Spinney Mountain Reservoir. There's plenty of shoreline to fish from - Spinney is a large reservoir (about 2500 surface acres). The only time fishing is permitted at Spinney Mountain Reservoir is spring after the ice thaws until early autumn. Check out our interactive map of over 30,000 of the best places to fly fish in the US. Check the Conditions page for all current information and see the Park Map for other important details. Get directions to access points, boat ramps, and real-time USGS stream flow data. But while Spinney Mountain State Park doesn’t open until all the ice is gone and boats are able to launch, the reality is that this may be the best time of year for fishing from shore. Aquatic food sources in Spinney Mountain are pretty typical of stillwater environment and include: Spring – Chironomids (#10-20), Scuds, Leeches, Summer – Callibaetis, Damsels, Scuds, Chironomids (#12-16), Leeches, Fall – Damsels, Scuds, Chironomids (#14-20), Leeches. I was not ready for this and furiously stripped line, but could not keep up. The larger pike, it seems, have a fondness for trout (as in food). I couldn't stop thinking that if I’d furiously stripped line and cranked into warp speed on the flippers I might have been able to keep up with that trout……. It would be hard to find any that is better in such a peaceful and scenic setting. Pike Management at Spinney Reservoir. The only time fishing is permitted at Spinney Mountain Reservoir is spring after the ice thaws until early autumn. For larger nymphs and streamers a 9-foot 6-wt with a sink tip fly line makes life easier. While you boating may be the preferred method for fishing at the reservoir, those who take a waders-only approach to fly fishing will not be disappointed. The good news is that the reservoir also boasts a population of large Northern Pike who enjoy feasting on trout, and the Division of Wildlife is keen to eliminate them. Float tubers and light water craft head to shore when the wind kicks up on Spinney Mountain Reservoir. There are a number of area fly shops and on-line retailers that publish Spinney Mountain Reservoir fishing reports. You can camp at the Eleven Mile Reservoir State Park, or at the private camping grounds right by the entrance of the reservoir itself. Ice fishing is prohibited. It’s nothing more than a Brassie tied on a curved hook with a cream colored thorax with a little mylar thrown into the dubbing mix for good measure. It looks like the wind will be calm in the morning. However that doesn’t mean they weren’t feeding below the water’s surface. The operative word here is “early” because this time of year you can bet that the wind will come up about noon and you’ll want to make your way back to shore. What awaits you at Spinney Mountain State Park: Shoreline Fishing; Fly Fishing; I was hoping I’d run into the Callibaetis mayfly hatch which I do understand a little better and for which I have a few productive fly patterns, but apparently that hatch is still a several weeks off. I’ll give it another try then. Colorado Springs Airport is roughly a 2 hour drive from Spinney Mountain State Park if you take US-24 West. located just outside of Spinney Mountain's Park entrance. When I got home I checked the weather forecast for Monday. In order to successfully manage both the trout and pike populations in stable numbers, CPW has instituted several innovative management techniques for Spinney Reservoir. As always, don’t forget to check local vacation rentals and cabin rentals in the area as well, as many times you can find some excellent deals on stays nearby for much less than a hotel. Not only trophy fish into the double digit range can be possible, but also a higher average size range than any other reservoir in the state. See Eleven Mile State Park. Best Time to Fish Spinney Mountain Reservoir. The operative word here is “early” because this time of year you can bet that the wind will come up about noon and you’ll want to make your way back to shore. -Park is closed for the winter months (dates vary each year); no ice fishing is permitted. Everything went according to plan when I launched my new float tube on Spinney Mountain Reservoir early yesterday morning. My rule of thumb is that I set when the strike indicator goes under with authority or when the trout runs with the fly. The Division of Wildlife does not permit ice fishing at the reservoir, and everything is covered in thick layers of ice during the coldest months of the year. Get the DIY Fly Fishing Web App to get turn-by-turn directions to the access points shown on the map above.