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The Spin on Spinney Mountain Reservoir
by K. Christopherson |
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Tails" |
Opening days in Colorado....Standing behind
the rope at the top of your favorite powder run and waiting for
the rope drop....Anticipating with great preparation the opening
day of your hunting season while set on the side of a
mountain..... sitting in your car for hours waiting for Spinney
Mountain Reservoir to open.
What? Sitting in your car for hours, for an
outdoor experience? Yet, this is what anglers do for one brief
period every April - they line up during the wee hours of the
night, napping, anticipating, just waiting for the gate to open.
Why? Because Spinney is closed for the winter, and opens when
the ice is gone. The anticipatory anglers want the first cast to
the trout, hungry and rising after ice-off.
The rewards are in the reservoir, if you can get
them. Spinney Reservoir is best know for its large Rainbow
trout, although it also harbors browns, Snake River cutthroats,
cuttbows and Northern Pike. The Rainbows can be large, and are
plentiful. For this reason, Spinney Mountain Reservoir is
designated as Gold Medal Water. Like fishing for pike? The
Division of Wildlife would appreciate it very much if you catch
a lot of pike, and keep them. The larger pike, it seems, have a
fondness for trout (as in food).
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Spinney Mountain Reservoir sits an at
elevation of 8680 feet |
There's plenty of shoreline to fish
from - Spinney is a large reservoir (about 2500 surface acres).
If one section isn't working, walk along the shoreline. It
DEFINITELY helps to have your waders on, so you can get part way
out in the shallows, or walk thru the marshy sections. Bring a selection of flies - dries, nymphs,
scuds, attractors,
terrestrials, wooly buggers in a variety of sizes and some
variable weight. You never know if the fish will be on the
surface or close to the bottom! Also, bring a jacket, sunscreen,
and any food or refreshment you want as the
closest store is a couple of miles away.
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Although a flyrod may be your first
choice, a spinning rod will work far better when the
winds pick up. (photo by Bill Hadley) |
You can better your chances of catching a
large Rainbow by using some form of watercraft. Boats are
allowed. Be prepared before you throw that float tube in the
lake. High winds and thunderstorms can rise up here faster than
the hair on a scared cat's back. Know what your options are for
getting to shore quickly, no matter which direction the storm
may come from.
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There are lots of gorgeous trout in
Spinney - remember to throw them back. You're allowed to
keep only one, and it has to be longer than 20". Here
Bill holds a 22.5" 4+ lb cuttbow (photo by
Bill Hadley) |
So get out and take a spin on
Spinney. The reservoir and portions of the South Platte lie
within a Colorado State Park, so a parks pass or daily entrance
fee is required. If for some reason you're not happy with the
angling at Spinney, there are miles
and acres of fishing opportunities within a few minutes drive.
Elevenmile Reservoir (another state park) is just south of Spinney. The South Platte
River flows in and out of Spinney with the famed tailwater south
of the reservoir. There's also great fishing on the middle and
south forks of the South Platte on Badger Basin, Tomahawk,
Spinney Mountain, 63
Ranch, and Knight-Imler State Wildlife Areas. And in 2007,
Antero Reservoir should re-open.
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A nice Rainbow, out of the water just
long enough for a photo op (photo by Bill Hadley) |
How to get there?
 | Take Hwy 24 from Colorado Springs for about
55 miles over Wilkerson Pass. Turn south on County Road 23,
then south on County Road 59. |
| From South Park, take Hwy 9 south (just
west of Fairplay). At Hartsel, follow Hwy 59 to the entrance |
Resources:
|
 Click
here to buy a NEW Ebook about Trout fishing on
Colorado State lands - includes a lot of info about the many
areas in South Park and reaches of the South Platte
(including Spinney). |
|
 Buy
an ebook on CD: Fifty Colorado Tailwaters: A Fly
Fisher's Guide
Click here for info or to purchase. Includes the Dream
Stream section of the South Platte below Spinney Reservoir. |
|
 Click
here to buy the fishing access map and guide for the South Platte River,
which includes South Park.
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| See the
Colorado State Parks site for
information on Spinney Mountain State Park |
Special Rules:
| Artificial flies or
lures only |
| Bag and possession for Trout, at/in
reservoir, is one trout, 20" or longer |
| No limit on Northern Pike |
| Fishing prohibited 1/2 hour after to
sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise |
| Special rules also for South Platte River
above/below reservoir - catch and release below dam; Above
reservoir: limit 2 trout, only one larger than 20", catch
and release on all trout between 12" and 20". Check rules on
the State Wildlife Areas beyond these sections of the South
Platte. |
| Park is closed during the winter (dates
change from year to year); no ice fishing. |
Where to stay?
There is camping at nearby Elevenmile Reservoir State Park and a private campground
near the entrance to Spinney Reservoir. Dispersed camping is available in
Pike National Forest to the east.
Info on Other South Platte areas:
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