Places to fish
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reports and conditions for the entire USA
reports and conditions for the entire USA
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info and/or where to fish in AZ.
Bartlett Lake
Bartlett Lake is the last of the two reservoirs on the Verde River North of Fountain Hills. The lake was created in 1939 when the Bartlett Dam was finished. When full, the surface area of the lake is about 2,800 acres with an average depth of about 100 ft. Although only 15 direct air miles from Fountain Hills, you must drive almost 45 miles to get to the Lake.
Bartlett Lake has a boatable area of about 2,800 acres which is more than Canyon and Saguaro Lake combined. If you are up for some fishing there are Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Catfish and Bluegill waiting to be caught. Bartlett Lake Marina has all the supplies you need to go fishing.
From Fountain Hills you must either take Shea to the 101 and then exit and go North on Pima Rd up to Cave Creek. If you are looking for a back-roads route, take Fountain Hills Blvd out of town to the north and once through Rio Verde, turn left on E Rio Verde Dr which eventually turns into Dynamite Blvd. Turn right when you reach Pima.
Regardless of which initial route you take, once you reach Cave Creek Rd, turn right and head to the northeast for about 5 miles until you reach Bartlett Dam Rd, then turn right. Take this paved road to Bartlett Lake. For more info visit
www.go-arizona.com/bartlett-lake/
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Positioned right on the Verde River in Cottonwood, Dead Horse Ranch State Park has all of the amenities that one would need to have a great camping adventure. With hookups for RV's, showers and a dump station, Dead Horse is an ideal campground to call home while discovering the Verde Valley area. Historic Jerome sits on the mountain just a few miles south of Cottonwood. Tuzigoot National Monument is just around the corner and Montezuma Castle is just 15 miles away. Also the scenic red rocks of Sedona lie just north of Dead Horse. Fishing is excellent for channel and flathead catfish, rainbow trout (fall, winter and spring) smallmouth and largemouth bass. The park even has a couple of stocked ponds that hold some nice trout in the cooler months.
Catfish are usually stocked twice a year: National Fishing Day (in June) and Verde River Day (last Saturday in September). Trout are stocked every other week from early November through late March. Arizona Game & Fish schedules stocking; go to http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/stocking_schedule.shtml for dates.
From Phoenix travel north on I-17 to the Cottonwood exit (hwy 260) head west 10 miles to Cottonwood. Once in Cottonwood take 10th Street just a mile north to the campground. For more info visit www.azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/index.html
Positioned right on the Verde River in Cottonwood, Dead Horse Ranch State Park has all of the amenities that one would need to have a great camping adventure. With hookups for RV's, showers and a dump station, Dead Horse is an ideal campground to call home while discovering the Verde Valley area. Historic Jerome sits on the mountain just a few miles south of Cottonwood. Tuzigoot National Monument is just around the corner and Montezuma Castle is just 15 miles away. Also the scenic red rocks of Sedona lie just north of Dead Horse. Fishing is excellent for channel and flathead catfish, rainbow trout (fall, winter and spring) smallmouth and largemouth bass. The park even has a couple of stocked ponds that hold some nice trout in the cooler months.
Catfish are usually stocked twice a year: National Fishing Day (in June) and Verde River Day (last Saturday in September). Trout are stocked every other week from early November through late March. Arizona Game & Fish schedules stocking; go to http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/stocking_schedule.shtml for dates.
From Phoenix travel north on I-17 to the Cottonwood exit (hwy 260) head west 10 miles to Cottonwood. Once in Cottonwood take 10th Street just a mile north to the campground. For more info visit www.azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/index.html
Lake Pleasant
Lake Pleasant is the largest lake in the Greater Phoenix area located about 30 miles north of Phoenix within the city limits of Peoria, a Phoenix suburb. The lake features over 50 miles of shoreline with 10,000 acres of crystal clear water fed primarily from the Agua Fria River.
Anglers have experienced trophy-size catches at the lake with a wide variety of sport fishing including largemouth bass, white crappie, white bass, channel catfish, and talapia. The salt water species of Striped bass were introduced to the lake as water containing Striped fry and eggs is pumped into the lake from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project canal.
Several creeks and washes feed into the lake and the feeding points are considered as hot fishing spots. They include Humbug Creek, Castle Creek and Cole's Wash. Although fishing can be good from the shore, it takes a boat to get to the heavy action locations. Pleasant features the best bass fishing in the area. For more info visit www.visitpeoriaaz.com/lake_pleasant.php
Lake Pleasant is the largest lake in the Greater Phoenix area located about 30 miles north of Phoenix within the city limits of Peoria, a Phoenix suburb. The lake features over 50 miles of shoreline with 10,000 acres of crystal clear water fed primarily from the Agua Fria River.
Anglers have experienced trophy-size catches at the lake with a wide variety of sport fishing including largemouth bass, white crappie, white bass, channel catfish, and talapia. The salt water species of Striped bass were introduced to the lake as water containing Striped fry and eggs is pumped into the lake from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project canal.
Several creeks and washes feed into the lake and the feeding points are considered as hot fishing spots. They include Humbug Creek, Castle Creek and Cole's Wash. Although fishing can be good from the shore, it takes a boat to get to the heavy action locations. Pleasant features the best bass fishing in the area. For more info visit www.visitpeoriaaz.com/lake_pleasant.php
Apache Lake
Apache Lake sets alongside the Apache Trail, one of the most scenic drives in Arizona. Surrounded by the Superstition Wilderness and the Three Bar Wildlife Area, Apache Lake is created by Horse Mesa Dam and located between Canyon Lake and Roosevelt Lake, its sister-lakes on the Salt River.
Located about 65 miles northeast of Phoenix, Apache Lake is 17 miles long and a spectacular site for boating, fishing, water skiing, hiking, and camping. The lake's secluded coves and painted canyon walls are home to javelina, big horn sheep, deer, and a host of other desert wildlife.
Fish from the banks or fire-up the bass boat because both largemouth and small mouth bass are the prized catches along with crappie and walleye. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/apache-lake/
Apache Lake sets alongside the Apache Trail, one of the most scenic drives in Arizona. Surrounded by the Superstition Wilderness and the Three Bar Wildlife Area, Apache Lake is created by Horse Mesa Dam and located between Canyon Lake and Roosevelt Lake, its sister-lakes on the Salt River.
Located about 65 miles northeast of Phoenix, Apache Lake is 17 miles long and a spectacular site for boating, fishing, water skiing, hiking, and camping. The lake's secluded coves and painted canyon walls are home to javelina, big horn sheep, deer, and a host of other desert wildlife.
Fish from the banks or fire-up the bass boat because both largemouth and small mouth bass are the prized catches along with crappie and walleye. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/apache-lake/
Canyon Lake
Canyon Lake, about 40 miles east of Phoenix is one of the four lakes created by dams on the Salt River. The others are Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake and Saguaro Lake. Canyon Lake isthe smallest of the four, but probably the most picturesque. Located just 16 miles from Apache Junction, Arizona, Canyon Lake marks the beginning of the Apache Trail which is one of the most scenic drives in Arizona. The Apache Trail begins with paved roads that soon turn into narrow dirt roads that meander along unique landscape from rolling desert to high cliffs at Fish Creek Hill that features a cascading waterfall after a desert rain.
Anglers can slip into a secluded cove and fish for largemouth bass, walleye, yellow bass, rainbow trout, crappie and channel catfish. Its full-service marina includes a campground, a restaurant, boat rentals, two boat ramps and boat repairs.
For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/canyon-lake/
Canyon Lake, about 40 miles east of Phoenix is one of the four lakes created by dams on the Salt River. The others are Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake and Saguaro Lake. Canyon Lake isthe smallest of the four, but probably the most picturesque. Located just 16 miles from Apache Junction, Arizona, Canyon Lake marks the beginning of the Apache Trail which is one of the most scenic drives in Arizona. The Apache Trail begins with paved roads that soon turn into narrow dirt roads that meander along unique landscape from rolling desert to high cliffs at Fish Creek Hill that features a cascading waterfall after a desert rain.
Anglers can slip into a secluded cove and fish for largemouth bass, walleye, yellow bass, rainbow trout, crappie and channel catfish. Its full-service marina includes a campground, a restaurant, boat rentals, two boat ramps and boat repairs.
For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/canyon-lake/
Roosevelt Lake
Once the world's largest man made lake, today Roosevelt is the third largest in Arizona behind the monster lakes of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. When full, Roosevelt Lake has a water surface of over 21,000 acres, a length of 22 miles and 128 miles of shoreline. Its maximum depth is over 300 feet. Sitting at the northern end of the scenic Apache Trail, Roosevelt Lake is the first and largest of a series of lakes created on the Salt River as it meanders to the Phoenix area over a course of about 40 miles. Those lakes are Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake as they gradually get closer to the Phoenix Az area.
Roosevelt Lake is a favorite of avid anglers searching for trophy largemouth bass along with smallmouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/roosevelt-lake/
Once the world's largest man made lake, today Roosevelt is the third largest in Arizona behind the monster lakes of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. When full, Roosevelt Lake has a water surface of over 21,000 acres, a length of 22 miles and 128 miles of shoreline. Its maximum depth is over 300 feet. Sitting at the northern end of the scenic Apache Trail, Roosevelt Lake is the first and largest of a series of lakes created on the Salt River as it meanders to the Phoenix area over a course of about 40 miles. Those lakes are Apache Lake, Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake as they gradually get closer to the Phoenix Az area.
Roosevelt Lake is a favorite of avid anglers searching for trophy largemouth bass along with smallmouth bass, channel catfish and crappie. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/roosevelt-lake/
Saguaro Lake
Saguaro Lake, created by the Stewart Mountain Dam, is located just 40 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix and even closer to Scottsdale and Mesa, suburbs of Phoenix. The lake is named for the majestic Saguaro Cactus that speckle the surrounding desert landscape. Saguaro Lake has more than 22 miles of shoreline and when full is about 118 feet deep creating a great environment for power boating, water skiing, sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, fishing and camping.
Angler's flock to the lake to catch their share of Brown and Rainbow Trout, Yellow and Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Walleye, Crappie, and Bluegill. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/saguaro-lake/
Saguaro Lake, created by the Stewart Mountain Dam, is located just 40 miles northeast of downtown Phoenix and even closer to Scottsdale and Mesa, suburbs of Phoenix. The lake is named for the majestic Saguaro Cactus that speckle the surrounding desert landscape. Saguaro Lake has more than 22 miles of shoreline and when full is about 118 feet deep creating a great environment for power boating, water skiing, sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, fishing and camping.
Angler's flock to the lake to catch their share of Brown and Rainbow Trout, Yellow and Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Walleye, Crappie, and Bluegill. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/saguaro-lake/
Alamo Lake
Alamo Lake, located within the Alamo Lake State Park is one of Arizona's Largemouth Bass fishing hot spots. Anglers in the know will tell you it is one of Arizona's best kept secrets. Fishing tournaments are common at the lake which yields plenty of bass, black crappie and channel catfish. Remotely located about 37 miles north of Wenden, Arizona which is about 55 miles from Wickenburg, Arizona. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/alamo-lake/
Alamo Lake, located within the Alamo Lake State Park is one of Arizona's Largemouth Bass fishing hot spots. Anglers in the know will tell you it is one of Arizona's best kept secrets. Fishing tournaments are common at the lake which yields plenty of bass, black crappie and channel catfish. Remotely located about 37 miles north of Wenden, Arizona which is about 55 miles from Wickenburg, Arizona. For more info visit www.go-arizona.com/alamo-lake/
Lynx Lake In Prescott
This 55-acre lake quietly sets amidst tall pines in the cool Bradshaw Mountains high country just a few miles southeast of Prescott, Arizona. Lynx Lake is a relatively small lake, yet it draws over 125,000 visitors annually. At a 5,500 foot elevation, the cool, refreshing summer temperatures attracts a great number of visitors from the Phoenix area wanting to escape the desert heat. Lynx is the centerpiece of the Prescott National Forest and features boating, fishing, camping, hiking and tranquil solitude. Swimming in the lake is prohibited. Access to the lake has been provided for the physically challenged.
Boating and Fishing - Only boats with electric motors are permitted on the lake, but the calm sapphire waters are ideal for kayaking, sailing and canoeing enthusiasts. Boat rentals are available at the Lynx Lake Store, which features a cafe. The store is only open from late spring to early fall and it is closed on Mondays.
Anglers enjoy a wide variety of fish including Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Crappie and Catfish. An Arizona fishing license and a trout stamp is required for those older than 13 years of age. Bag limits are 6 trout and 6 bass per day but unlimited on crappie and catfish. For more info visit www.azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/index.html
This 55-acre lake quietly sets amidst tall pines in the cool Bradshaw Mountains high country just a few miles southeast of Prescott, Arizona. Lynx Lake is a relatively small lake, yet it draws over 125,000 visitors annually. At a 5,500 foot elevation, the cool, refreshing summer temperatures attracts a great number of visitors from the Phoenix area wanting to escape the desert heat. Lynx is the centerpiece of the Prescott National Forest and features boating, fishing, camping, hiking and tranquil solitude. Swimming in the lake is prohibited. Access to the lake has been provided for the physically challenged.
Boating and Fishing - Only boats with electric motors are permitted on the lake, but the calm sapphire waters are ideal for kayaking, sailing and canoeing enthusiasts. Boat rentals are available at the Lynx Lake Store, which features a cafe. The store is only open from late spring to early fall and it is closed on Mondays.
Anglers enjoy a wide variety of fish including Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Crappie and Catfish. An Arizona fishing license and a trout stamp is required for those older than 13 years of age. Bag limits are 6 trout and 6 bass per day but unlimited on crappie and catfish. For more info visit www.azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO/index.html
Urban Lakes
Many people often forget or are unaware of the PhoenixUrban Fishing Program:
Fishing in the urban desert? Sounds odd but it is true. New residents who have migrated from different places throughout the country, quickly learn about fishing opportunities at the major lakes throughout the state. Locals know there are countless places to cast in a line within Phoenix ’s metropolitan area. Thanks to the Arizona Urban Fishing Program residents of Phoenix can find fishing opportunities practically in their own back yards.
The Arizona Urban Fishing Program was formed thanks to the cooperative efforts of the various cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The program has created opportunities for quality fishing in 15 area lakes in eight Valley cities. Thanks to rapid development of rural areas, the number of lakes is increasing, with new ones becoming available every couple of years. To many visitors from other areas of the US , the lakes may resemble large ponds rather than lakes, but despite their size the fishing is exceptional. The cities maintain the lakes, parks, and facilities, while AZGFD handles the stocking of the lakes and the enforcement of regulations. The program itself is funded by the sale of licenses and fees. Children under the age of 14 are not required to have a license. All others must obtain a Class U (Urban) license at a cost of $16. The license is good for a year. Other short-term licenses are available as well for those anglers who are just passing through. Inquire with the AZGFD for daily catch limits.
The lakes are stocked with a variety of fish including rainbow trout, channel catfish, and sunfish to name a few. Every other week between March and November, channel catfish are stocked in area lakes, and from November to March rainbow trout are added. During the summer months the program takes a break because of the heat and the difficulty it creates in transporting the fish from cooler, out-of-state locations. Each of the 15 lakes carries similar varieties of fish with some slight exceptions. So get out your rod and reel, bait your hook, and wait for a nibble at any of these fine urban lakes.
For more info visit: www.azgfd.gov/h_f/urban_fishing.shtml
Lake Nine
Sun City Grand Residents:
Don’t forget about Lake Nine, right in our backyard near the Desert Springs Club House and Angela's restaurant. SCG residents and their Grandkids can fish there using flies or lures. Live bait is not allowed, there is no fee, a fishing licence is not required and it's Catch & Release only. It's a great place to take your Grandkids when they visit. The Fishing Club will loan the necessary fishing gear to children of all ages. NOTE: Children 10 and under are allowed to use worms.
The Rockies
There are a lot of requests for information on places to fish in the west, particularly the Rockies. With all of the great fly fishing here, you'd think that it would be hard to miss. However, many of us fished for a lot of years out here before we really felt like we had the Rockies dialed in. Often the response for information is from someone else in the east that at some point took a trip and had a great time. They might say "go to the San Juan" or the Bighorn, or Yellowstone. Great places, but you might find that your tastes are different. Once you know what you are looking for, you can ask a more specific question and you won't get a bunch of random information. Fly fishing in the Rockies offers a wide variety of experiences. One person might love the legendary tail waters, another might hate them, one might want solitude, another a big fish, another only dry fly fishing. Those opportunities are all here.
Tail waters vs. freestones. Because they are artificial, man-made, nutrient charged environments with consistent cold water, tail waters tend to have large trout, usually rainbows, and require small flies (with some notable exceptions). They tend to be crowded and the ethics of fishing them adjust to the crowds, you fish close to others, and you don't move a lot. On freestones, we move, it is not uncommon for me to cover 1-2 miles of water in a day. Tail waters often are very formulaic, and thus are easier to figure out, at times. Freestones tend to have smaller fish (often with notable exceptions), more diversity in food sources where we might use both large and small flies. They have variable flows, and at times can be tougher to figure out. They are very flow and temperature dependent, and usually are less crowded. Ethics here usually are concerned with giving other anglers lots of space.
Small streams-these usually mean even smaller fish, with even more notable exceptions, tight casting, less selective fish, and no crowds at all. Big waters can be daunting. But, I like to break a big river down into component small streams. For instance, here on the Arkansas in the summer, I tell people that it is really a small stream, pay attention to the water within 3 feet of the edge and ignore the rest. That is where the success will be.
Wild vs. stocked, wild vs. wild natives, big fish vs. small. I've had clients that only wanted big fish. I've had others that were more than thrilled to catch lots of little small stream cutthroats all day. Others want that big, high lake cutthroat on a dry fly. Some want to catch their first trout on a fly and are thrilled when it is a wild fish. Some want to catch different species and subspecies. How about a grayling, or a golden, an Apache, or a Gila, or even a pike, they all are here. .
Float vs. wade, and guide vs. no guide. These options can give you very different experiences. Here on my river, the Arkansas, floating is not for beginners. Wading gives much more instruction and success. Then, when you can cast better, and work fast, you can float. But on the San Juan, beginners do well floating, and the guide can bring success by helping to control the drift and separating the boat from the flies. Some rivers can't be floated, while others can't really be waded well.
Stillwaters - Few anglers in the east think too seriously about still waters. However, here in the Rockies, they are go-to waters. There are high park reservoirs that can give incredible experiences with truly huge fish, particularly with hatches such as Chironomids and Callibaetis. Next are mid-elevation lakes, a place that I often take beginners. But the gem of Rocky Mountain stillwaters are the alpine lakes. They often don't melt open here until the second week of July and are done by mid-September, but if you want solitude, and a chance to catch a 22" cutthroat on a small dry, that chance is there. The down side is they can be difficult to get to, you are at 12,000', and they can have truly frightening summer afternoon storms. You need to be acclimated to the altitude before going, but, if you want to know what many guides do on their day off, High lakes are often the place.
Many people often forget or are unaware of the PhoenixUrban Fishing Program:
Fishing in the urban desert? Sounds odd but it is true. New residents who have migrated from different places throughout the country, quickly learn about fishing opportunities at the major lakes throughout the state. Locals know there are countless places to cast in a line within Phoenix ’s metropolitan area. Thanks to the Arizona Urban Fishing Program residents of Phoenix can find fishing opportunities practically in their own back yards.
The Arizona Urban Fishing Program was formed thanks to the cooperative efforts of the various cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The program has created opportunities for quality fishing in 15 area lakes in eight Valley cities. Thanks to rapid development of rural areas, the number of lakes is increasing, with new ones becoming available every couple of years. To many visitors from other areas of the US , the lakes may resemble large ponds rather than lakes, but despite their size the fishing is exceptional. The cities maintain the lakes, parks, and facilities, while AZGFD handles the stocking of the lakes and the enforcement of regulations. The program itself is funded by the sale of licenses and fees. Children under the age of 14 are not required to have a license. All others must obtain a Class U (Urban) license at a cost of $16. The license is good for a year. Other short-term licenses are available as well for those anglers who are just passing through. Inquire with the AZGFD for daily catch limits.
The lakes are stocked with a variety of fish including rainbow trout, channel catfish, and sunfish to name a few. Every other week between March and November, channel catfish are stocked in area lakes, and from November to March rainbow trout are added. During the summer months the program takes a break because of the heat and the difficulty it creates in transporting the fish from cooler, out-of-state locations. Each of the 15 lakes carries similar varieties of fish with some slight exceptions. So get out your rod and reel, bait your hook, and wait for a nibble at any of these fine urban lakes.
For more info visit: www.azgfd.gov/h_f/urban_fishing.shtml
Lake Nine
Sun City Grand Residents:
Don’t forget about Lake Nine, right in our backyard near the Desert Springs Club House and Angela's restaurant. SCG residents and their Grandkids can fish there using flies or lures. Live bait is not allowed, there is no fee, a fishing licence is not required and it's Catch & Release only. It's a great place to take your Grandkids when they visit. The Fishing Club will loan the necessary fishing gear to children of all ages. NOTE: Children 10 and under are allowed to use worms.
The Rockies
There are a lot of requests for information on places to fish in the west, particularly the Rockies. With all of the great fly fishing here, you'd think that it would be hard to miss. However, many of us fished for a lot of years out here before we really felt like we had the Rockies dialed in. Often the response for information is from someone else in the east that at some point took a trip and had a great time. They might say "go to the San Juan" or the Bighorn, or Yellowstone. Great places, but you might find that your tastes are different. Once you know what you are looking for, you can ask a more specific question and you won't get a bunch of random information. Fly fishing in the Rockies offers a wide variety of experiences. One person might love the legendary tail waters, another might hate them, one might want solitude, another a big fish, another only dry fly fishing. Those opportunities are all here.
Tail waters vs. freestones. Because they are artificial, man-made, nutrient charged environments with consistent cold water, tail waters tend to have large trout, usually rainbows, and require small flies (with some notable exceptions). They tend to be crowded and the ethics of fishing them adjust to the crowds, you fish close to others, and you don't move a lot. On freestones, we move, it is not uncommon for me to cover 1-2 miles of water in a day. Tail waters often are very formulaic, and thus are easier to figure out, at times. Freestones tend to have smaller fish (often with notable exceptions), more diversity in food sources where we might use both large and small flies. They have variable flows, and at times can be tougher to figure out. They are very flow and temperature dependent, and usually are less crowded. Ethics here usually are concerned with giving other anglers lots of space.
Small streams-these usually mean even smaller fish, with even more notable exceptions, tight casting, less selective fish, and no crowds at all. Big waters can be daunting. But, I like to break a big river down into component small streams. For instance, here on the Arkansas in the summer, I tell people that it is really a small stream, pay attention to the water within 3 feet of the edge and ignore the rest. That is where the success will be.
Wild vs. stocked, wild vs. wild natives, big fish vs. small. I've had clients that only wanted big fish. I've had others that were more than thrilled to catch lots of little small stream cutthroats all day. Others want that big, high lake cutthroat on a dry fly. Some want to catch their first trout on a fly and are thrilled when it is a wild fish. Some want to catch different species and subspecies. How about a grayling, or a golden, an Apache, or a Gila, or even a pike, they all are here. .
Float vs. wade, and guide vs. no guide. These options can give you very different experiences. Here on my river, the Arkansas, floating is not for beginners. Wading gives much more instruction and success. Then, when you can cast better, and work fast, you can float. But on the San Juan, beginners do well floating, and the guide can bring success by helping to control the drift and separating the boat from the flies. Some rivers can't be floated, while others can't really be waded well.
Stillwaters - Few anglers in the east think too seriously about still waters. However, here in the Rockies, they are go-to waters. There are high park reservoirs that can give incredible experiences with truly huge fish, particularly with hatches such as Chironomids and Callibaetis. Next are mid-elevation lakes, a place that I often take beginners. But the gem of Rocky Mountain stillwaters are the alpine lakes. They often don't melt open here until the second week of July and are done by mid-September, but if you want solitude, and a chance to catch a 22" cutthroat on a small dry, that chance is there. The down side is they can be difficult to get to, you are at 12,000', and they can have truly frightening summer afternoon storms. You need to be acclimated to the altitude before going, but, if you want to know what many guides do on their day off, High lakes are often the place.