Your Resource for
Outdoor Adventure

It is a cold winter in the Arkansas Valley and we have had a lot of snow but, the ice fishing has been great. The Arkansas River has been a little slow especially in the Buena Vista area. It has been a little better down towards Salida and down the canyon and this last week was warm enough to get some hatches started. If the warm up continues the river should be getting better every week.

Twin lakes is frozen is thick enough to drive on over most of the lake, you still have to be careful on the west end of the lower lake and along the south shore down to InterLaken buildings. The upper end is still dangerous because of the powerplant and the lower end of the upper lake is open as well. The macks are hitting tube jigs with sucker meat in about 30-50 feet of water and the rainbows are hitting small jigs tipped with meal worms or wax worms. The Macks are getting jig shy now so smaller is better.The Mt. Elbert forebay is mostly frozen because the powerplant is only operating at half capacity. The open water is still good fishing with Pistol Petes tipped with a meal worm.

Crystal and Hayden Flats are both frozen solid and the fish are hitting meal worms and wax worms on small jigs. Crystal is very good on the outlet side just to the north of the outlet.

Turquoise lake is frozen and fishing is good along the east shore close to the bank for rainbows and snake river cutthroats. Swedish pimples tipped with meal worms is working best. Also small jiggs tipped with a salmon eggs have been working well.

Clear creek Reservoir is frozen and fishing has been good for rainbows at the boat ramp and on the upper end near the inlet. Small jigs tipped with meal worms or wax worms are working best. Also try for the Tiger Muskies using white tube jigs tipped with sucker meat.

Cottonwood lake had been very good for rainbows and is a great place to take children because there are a lot of fish and the view is great. The county is keeping the road plowed all the way to the lake so the access has been good all winter.

Antero has been fair for ice fishing, but the fish that are being caught are in the 3-5 pound range. Small jigs tipped with a red berkley power egg is working the best. Also Swedish pimples tipped with a wax worm are working. Pink is in on Antero, small pink jigs with glow heads are working best tipped with a meal worm. The fish are getting a little stressed because of oxygen problems so the fishing is hit a miss. Moving around a lot until you find good water is your best bet. If the water stinks or their are dead shrimp in the hole move to a different location.

Franz Lake has been good for rainbows and some small mouth bass. Small jigs tipped with a piece of a night crawler are working best.

This is a great time of year to come to the Hi Country and enjoy some winter sports. We are starting to experience some spring like weather, but all the lakes are still frozen solid.