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Steamboat Lake - Year 'Round Fun
by K. Christopherson |
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Here to read
more "Fish
Tails" |
One of the three lakes in Colorado to carry a gold medal designation is Steamboat Lake. This lake is
actually a reservoir,
created in 1967-68, and covers 1053 acres.
This stillwater offers not just great
fishing, but also terrific camping, scenery, and plenty of
other activities in any season.
I'm not much of a lake fisherman (whoops, fisherwoman) any more, but this setting really surprised me.
Having spent a lot of time in Steamboat, I had avoided this area thinking it would be another brown reservoir,
no trees, heaps
of people. But, think again! Steamboat Lake is beautiful, with lots of pine trees near its banks and mountains rising all
around. Crowds - yea, sure, in places but not too hard to get away from.
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Mountain vistas from the shoreline |
Steamboat lake is a Colorado State Park, so it will cost you five bucks to get in (per carload, per day),
or have your State Parks Pass. There are several access
points around the lake - pick the parts where motorized craft aren't allowed. Bring your waders or float tube so you
can sneak up on those fish (cutthroats and rainbows) and get even further away from
shore casters and kids.
One of the nicest areas to fish is near the dam.
There is a separate entrance off the highway, called Sage Flats,
just south of the visitor's center. From the parking lot, it is
about a ten-minute walk to the dam. You can cross the dam and
fish along the grassy shore. Sometimes this is a good area to
catch some of the larger trout. It doesn't get crowded over on
this side - the short hike seems to keep people closer to the
parking areas.
This park is open year 'round. From Spring to
Fall, it has wonderful campgrounds with all the amenities.
There's so much to do in this area besides fishing in Steamboat
Lake. You can fish many of the small streams north of here, or
other area leaks such as Pearl or Hahn's Peak.
There's ice fishing on the lake in winter, plus
all sorts of other snow activities. The campgrounds are closed
in winter, but the parking lot near the marina has 16 spaces
with electric hookups for RVs, etc.
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A large Snake River cutthroat, who took a
big dry on a very windy day. |
How to get there?
Drive north from Steamboat on Road 129. This leaves US Hwy 40 on the west side of Steamboat Springs (near the 7-11).
Go about 26 miles north to the State Park. There are several entrances in. The best one is furthest north, where you can drive
around to Rainbow Ridge or Meadow Point. Be sure to stop at the visitors center on Road 129. There are nice wildlife
displays and they can tell you the current regs and conditions.
There is a marina in the park where you can rent boats and pick up supplies.
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Boats are allowed, and for rent at the
marina |
Things to know and do:
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Hahn's Peak (a triangular-shaped mountain northeast of the lake) was a center for gold mining in the 1860's.
Joseph Hahn spent only a couple of years here, dying after a hard winter. There are several remains of
the old mining towns around the base of Hahn's Peak. |
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There are lots of other areas to fish - the Elk River, many mountain creeks, and Pearl Lake (also a state park).
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Activities in the area include fishing (of course), hiking, swimming, horse-back riding, and exploring the
many roads and trails in the area. |
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Check out the website for Steamboat Lake
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Rules:
Four fish bag and eight fish possession limit. However,
check when you get there for changes in the reg's.
Where to stay?
There is camping in the park and the neighboring area, plus "camper cabins" for rent (check at the marina). There is a
guest ranch on the north side of the lake, and other cabin accommodations in Clark and Columbine.
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 Buy
an ebook on CD: Fifty Colorado Tailwaters: A Fly
Fisher's Guide
Click here for info or to purchase. Includes the
small
tailwater at Steamboat |
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Click
here to buy a map for this area. You need map 116 for this area.
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