Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Good ice and great fishing!
Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Good ice and great fishing!
Blue Mesa reservoir near Gunnison and Crested Butte, Colorado has 8-20″ of ice across the entire reservoir with 4-6″ inches of snow on top. The ice is holding up well due to the insulation of the snow and the cold Gunnison Valley nights. The days have been very nice overall but not too warm as to hurt the conditions. There are some big pressure ridges in Cebolla and Sapinero basins, but as of right now they are buttoned up pretty tight and people have been driving sleds across them in certain areas. As always, use caution! Conditions can change quickly on warm days and we did see some shorelines get a little soft when we had several days of warm weather last week.
Trout- the fishing has held up all season for some of the best action we have ever seen! 25-50 fish days are common and the overall quality is above average for Blue Mesa rainbow and brown trout! Iola basin has been best, but just about any rocky shoreline has been holding fish! Five to 20 feet of water has been best and small spoons tipped with a mealworm have been very productive, but not the only way to catch fish.
Kokanee Salmon- There are some salmon being caught, but consistency has been hard to find. We haven’t had much time to chase them, but have had several lake trout puke them up as we are landing them! Pray that they are hiding somewhere nobody is looking so that the future doesn’t look bleak!
Perch- we have caught some perch and heard some reports of smaller perch being caught, but they tend to move every day (they are probably getting chased or chasing their food source) and we haven’t heard any reports of consistent bigger perch being caught.
Lake trout- action for smaller fish has been very good in 45-80 feet of water on 2-3.5″ tube jigs in white, glow, and perch colors. Tip with a small piece of sucker for best results. The bigger fish have been elusive at times, but presenting opportunities when you find them! Opportunity capitalization has been a bit challenging this winter with a lot fish eating the bait in way that’s hard to detect, running into the line, or biting just the head of the bait. They don’t get big and old by being dumb, but every once in a while you find yourself at the right place at the right time with the right fish! 🙂
We still have several weeks of good ice and good fishing! We have been blessed with some pretty awesome clients and some pretty special moments to share with them! If you have been thinking about booking a trip, we still have some openings!!
Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Tournament- as of right now, the tournament is ago, but we are working with the Park Service and Gunnison County to increase the allowed party size to more than 50 people. Stay tuned to our facebook page for updates!
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Phone: (970) 784-6555
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