Grand Lake - The ice conditions on Grand Lake are all over the board and are changing from day to day. There is slush present and can be very difficult to navigate on days and times that present themselves with above freezing temperatures. However, there are other days that seems to have good travel conditions. The traffic on the lake is way down from a month ago and the signs that “Mud Season” is right around the corner here in town. There were a good amount of fish caught at the tournament a couple of weeks ago and the signs of a good spring bite are definitely on the table. There is a very large amount of open water near the bridge on the west side of the lake and that area should be avoided at all times right now due to the amount of water that is moving through that spot. I have found ice up to almost 20” thick in other areas that are holding fish. The rainbow and brown trout fishing has slowed down a little bit. The majority of these fish have moved out of the shallows and are concentrating their feeding in a or over relatively deeper water and are searching for the most oxygenated water. For this time of year, I like to pick a few spots that have drop off nearby and are within a safe distance to moving water or areas that will contain moving water in the spring. I also like to use a two-rod set up with one of the rods having a very small, bright and flashy spoon that is primarily used as a search/attractor bait. With my second rod, I like to have a very small jig with some type of meat or flavor attached. Nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, wax worms and even a very micro piece of sucker meat with work for the rainbows and browns right now. The lake trout seems to have settled into two distinct areas. I am seeing the largest numbers of bottom fish in 60-80 feet of water and the suspended fish in 80-110 feet of water. The most important tip I can give when fishing the small lakers holding the bottom is to move around quite a bit and when you find a fish in a certain depth, focus there on that same contour line for the best results. The majority of the lake trout we have been catching have been on natural-colored soft plastics. Browns, greens, greys and even blacks have been my top producers. As always, don’t forget the sucker meat and scent when fishing grand lake. Having something that smells fresh will greatly increase your odds. The suspended fish are definitely present and is primarily a waiting game. Pick a spot of two to fish throughout these day in different depths, set up camp and wait for these cruising fish to show up below you. A good fish finder that shows the entire water column is essential in dialing in on these fish. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Jake Foos
Williams Fork Reservoir - Water level is at 72% of full. Lake trout bite has been good in 50 to 65 feet of water. Small plastics and tungsten jigs tipped with sucker meat have been producing bites. Finding structure such as points, dropoffs and humps are key to finding good groups of fish and staying on a good bite. Walking conditions on the lake are great, all of the slush has frozen and there is very little snow making travel on the lake easy. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Sam Hochevar.
Lake Granby - Water level is at 66% or approximately 27.5ft low. Travel conditions are good on the lake, slush is present in the afternoons but is very spotty. Rainbow and brown trout bite has been fair. We are finding best action along the rip-rap shorelines of the dam faces and around the pump house. Look for rainbows and browns in 15ft and shallower water. Best lures we have found have been Dynamic twitch tubes, demons in pink or chartreuse in color. A tungsten and a waxie is a close second for most productive bait. Lake trout bite has been excellent for eater size fish, those 19” and under in size. Target them in 50-70ft of water with 2-4” tubes in light colors such as white or chartreuse, tip with a small piece of sucker. A 1/4oz Buckshot spoon or a blade bait is a great reaction bait for some of those fish that just look. Stay mobile as not all groups of fish are actively feeding but once you find that active group the action can be fast and furious. Fishing with Bernie Guide, Dan Shannon.
The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out www.fishingwithbernie.com, www.facebook.com/FishingWithBernie/ or our Instagram pages https://www.instagram.com/fishing_with_bernie https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithaltitude
