By Jim Thomas
Journal Sports Editor

Within the next few weeks, Colorado anglers will have some of the best fishing opportunities of the season, as warmer water in impoundments around the state and spawning draws sportfish into shallow water. Winter lethargy will be a thing of the past. The fish will be hungry and aggressive. Because of favorable water conditions and heavy stocking in the mid-1990s, the fishing will quite possibly be the best in years, according to several Southwest area Colorado Division of Wildlife aquatic biologists.

Western Colorado anglers also have some excellent warmwater fishing opportunities right in their backyards. Starting down in the far southwest corner of the state, McPhee Reservoir holds the distinction of being the largest warmwater sport fishery in western Colorado. For several years now, the reservoir has become one of the best places to fish for warm-water species. But that’s still not to say there aren’t plenty of cold-water fish in the lake such as trout and kokanee salmon.

Durango-based Division aquatic biologist Mike Japhet said smallmouth bass are the highlight of this deep, cold reservoir. Fishing shallow water in the spring, particularly House Creek Cove, is the best way to get away from the crowds and enjoy some fast action for the feisty smallmouth.

"Many of the fish are in the 12-14 inch range, with some larger than the legal 15-inch size," he said.

McPhee also is home to yellow perch, black crappie, rainbows and kokanee from 12-14 inches, particularly at the Dolores River inlet. The reservoir is a good place to go for bass, especially up House Creek and Beaver Creek inlets.

Nearby Totten Lake also has become a good place to go after warm-water species. It offers northern pike, blue gill and largemouth bass, Japhet said. Narriquinnep Reservoir also is an outstanding fishery for northern pike.

Echo Canyon Reservoir, south of Pagosa Springs, has good fishing for largemouth bass, green sunfish and yellow perch, particularly before the weeds grow thick in the middle of June.

Japhet recommends Puett Reservoir as an underutilized warmwater fishery offering some big walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass and yellow perch.

Anglers at all reservoirs in the Cortez area are encouraged to catch and keep northern pike, particularly at Totten Lake, "where they are abundant and easily caught," Japhet said.

Moving up north to the Delta/Montrose area, Division aquatic biologist Sherman Hebein said one of the area’s most popular fisheries, Confluence Lake in Delta, will be undergoing a major overhaul to control suckers and improve water quality. But the lake will still offer good fishing this summer for catfish, green sunfish and a sizable portion of stocked rainbows.

After renovation of the inlet structure this fall to add fish screens and the construction settling ponds, Confluence Lake will hopefully qualify for largemouth bass, blue gill, black crappie, catfish and trout, pending agency review of the management plan.

Another favorite for locals is Chapita Lake, just outside Montrose, which has catfish up to 10 pounds, largemouth bass and is stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout in the spring and fall.

Crawford Reservoir, east of Delta, is stocked annually with brood largemouth bass (up to 20 inches) and has a growing population of illegally stocked northern pike, which is seriously impacting the yellow perch populations. Anglers are encouraged to harvest their legal limit of up to 10 pike as well as the legal limit of crappie and catfish.

One of the top warmwater fisheries on the West Slope is Rifle Gap Reservoir, with walleyes up to 10 pounds, yellow perch up to 12 inches, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and 70,000 catchable rainbows available to anglers. Last year, about 360 rainbows averaging 3-5 pounds were also stocked, according to Grand-Junction-based Division aquatic biologist Bill Elmblad.

Harvey Gap Reservoir has two ferocious predatory fish species, northern pike and an experimental population of tiger muskies. The lake also holds smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, rainbow trout and some of the "fattest channel catfish" you can find anywhere, according to Elmblad.

Rio Blanco Reservoir, west of Meeker, has northern pike as large as 20 pounds, largemouth bass (an 8-pound bucketmouth was caught in 1998), channel cats, black crappie and yellow perch. This is a very popular panfish fishery.

Elmblad also recommends Elkhead Reservoir near Craig for largemouth and smallmouth bass, with many fish of both species in excess of 15 inches, black crappies up to 12 inches, and good numbers of northern pike.

The Yampa River west of Hayden is one of the few river systems that offers a warmwater fishery for such diverse fish species as northern pike, smallmouth bass and channel catfish.

The river produces northern pike up to 20 pounds, and smallmouth bass in the 15 to 17-inch range are common, Elmblad said.

He reminds anglers that they’ll need heavier-than-normal tackle to hold on to these fish when they get into the river current.

"We have removed the bag limit on all three species to reduce their populations and improve conditions for endangered fish species," Elmblad said. "So come out and catch some nice fish and help recover endangered fish at the same time."

Most of the fishing on the lower Yampa is done from rafts, canoes and small boats, Elmblad said, and the river below Hayden is generally safe. But watch for white water in Juniper and Cross Mountain canyons as well as in Dinosaur National Monument.

The Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation maintains numerous boat-launching ramps along the river. CDOW Southeast Area Wildlife Manager Charlie Bennett knew the fishing in the Southeast area of the state has been good in the past three years, despite some inconsistent saugeye days in most of the lakes in 1999. But when he heard that a group of two adults and three youngsters had caught 200 pounds of wipers in Meredith Lake in six hours, well, let’s just say he considered it his duty to check it out for himself.

The first is the local annual National Fishing Week Fishing Derby. Actually this one of two fishing contests sponored by the City of Cortez Parks and Recreation Department.

This event, set this Monday, June 5, is free for all participants. Fisherman must be 3-14 years old in order to participate. All anglers will meet at the Conquistador Golf Course at 5 p.m. and fishing will begin at 5:30. Those attending should bring their own pole, tackle and bait.

The second fishing contest looming on the schedule is the Veterans of Foreign War-Mesa Verde Post 5241’s fourth annual Fishing Contest, June 24-25, at McPhee Marina on McPhee Reservoir north of Cortez.

Prizes include a $500 U.S. Savings Bond for the largest brown trout (more than 4 pounds); an 18-speed mountain bike for the largest fish caught by a youth (age 15 and younger); and 150-$500 in merchandise for the largest blackbass, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, catfish, and crappie.

Entry fees are: family package (adult $20, spouse $10, children 15-and-under free), boat package ($50 up to four fishermen), and individuals (adult $20, age 15-and-under $5 or free with an adult ticket purchased).

Entry tickets are available at Howard’s Sporting Goods in Cortez, The Outfitters and Merchantile of Dolores, also the VFW booth starting at 6:30 a.m. June 24 and at the top of the boat ramp until the contest ends.