Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report-

Here you can find current ice fishing reports and ice conditions for Blue Mesa reservoir near Gunnison, Crested Butte, and Montrose Colorado.  You can also find past Blue Mesa ice fishing reports by choosing the year you would like on the navigation bar to the left.   These Blue Mesa ice fishing reports typically cover ice conditions, fishing activity, weather, and areas to be careful of.  These Colorado fishing reports are compiled first hand by our fishing experiences and trips on Blue Mesa.  We update these reports every time we go out or hear new, relevant information from reliable sources.  Blue Mesa typically gets its first safe ice around the Lake City bridge in early December.  It then takes until mid to late January for the safe ice to reach all the way to the dam.  We try to keep these fishing reports updated, but get extremely busy with ice fishing trips during the winter. For more up-to-date, sometimes live, on the water Blue Mesa ice fishing reports and pictures, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

February 28, 2014 Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Hot Bites!

The fishing has been good for all species! We still have plenty of safe ice, but there are some shorelines and pressure ridges that have some open water so be cautious! We are finally starting to see a little bit of consistency with the kokanee salmon. Most days these fish are showing up 15-40′ down over deeper water. From Red Creek Island west has been holding the best concentrations. Pk spoons, Swedish Pimples, Kastmasters, and Buckshot rattle spoons tipped with a meal worm or wax worm have been producing! The trout bite is still excellent, especially early! Small tube jigs, trout magnets, kastmasters, and Pk Flutterfish have been the ticket. We have seen some fat, egg-laden females showing up along rocky shorelines and in the backs of coves! Orange, red, white, and green are all good colors. Lake trout of all sizes have been biting on Gulp Minnows and 3-5′ tube jigs tipped with a small piece of sucker meat! Focus on 30-80 feet of water depending on the structure. Glow, white, and perch imitations have all been working. Good luck, be safe, and God Bless! 

January 28, 2014 Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Safe ice across 95 % of the lake!

It seems like it took a little longer this year, but Blue Mesa is about 95% capped with safe ice.  There are still some dangerous pressure ridges and thin spots so use caution.  The trout fishing has been unbelievable this year!  While the average fish is running 14″, there are some 18-22″ rainbows and browns showing up regularly! Focus on fishing in 10-25′ of water close to or over deep water. Rocky shorelines have been good, but points and flats have been producing a lot of fish too.PK Lures Flutter fish has been a go to as well as a variety ofRadical Glow 1-2″ tube jigs! Tip with a meal worm, chunk of night crawler, or a piece of shrimp. If you aren’t seeing a lot of fish activity, it’s time to move!  I am finally starting to hear reports of some kokanee being caught in Cebolla, near middle bridge and down towards Lake Fork Marina.  The kokes are running 15-30′ deep and hitting Pk Flutter fish.  Lake Trout fishing has been fair to good for numbers and hot and cold for big fish.  Now that we have the western half of the lake to fish, it’s time to cover some water and find the active fish! Oh ya, the perch have been consistently showing up in Iola, Dry Creek, and Elk Creek thus far with some stretching over 11″!  25-55 feet of water is a good place to start with your favorite perch lures!

January 9, 2014 Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Slowly but surely!

The ice is slowly but surely making its way across the lake.  Blue Mesa Reservoir is about 65% ice covered with 40% of that ice being safe and fishable.  Fishing has been excellent for the rainbow and brownt trout!  The rainbows can be found in 5-25 feet of water on flats and along rocky shorelines.  The browns are deeper in 15-50 feet of water and usually close to rocks!  Small tube jigs and lead heads tipped with meal worms or krill has been the ticket!  Lake trout fishing has been fair with good numbers of fish being found in 40-80 feet of water, but how well they bite depends on the day.  The classic 3.5″ pearl or glow tube jig tipped with a postage stamp sized piece of sucker meat has been the best producer.  I have yet to hear of a kokanee salmon coming throught the ice.  Due to low water, and algae bloom, and higher than normal water temperatures last summer, I believe that a lot of the salmon migrated to the western half of the lake in search of better oxygen levels. It appears that a lot of the salmon are still in this area because they are not showing up in the Narrows. Be safe, good luck, and God Bless!

December 22, 2013 Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: Big brown surprise!

The ice has worked it’s way past Elk Creek Marina and receeded back to Elk Creek Marina depending on the daytime high.  Fishing is excellent for trout and fair to good for lake trout.  No kokanee salmon reports have been heard of…..yet.  The trout are hitting small jigs and spoons tipped with a meal worm and the lake trout can be caught on the classic white tube jig with a chunk of sucker meat.  Last week we had a GIANT surprise when a 28.25″ 9.75 lbs German Brown Trout hit our Radical Glow tube jig on 4 lbs test and gave my client the fight of his life!  We released this fish to pass on its genes and fight another day!

December 10, 2013 Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Report: The lake is capping quickly!

Blue Mesa reservoir has 3-7″ of ice from the Gunnison River inlet to Turtle Rock just before Elk Creek Marina.  The fishing has been very good for rainbow and brown trout with some of the better trout averaging 16-20″!  It won’t be long before we see the ice advance into Cebolla Basin due to the negative temperatures we have been experiencing!