The High elevations are some of the best places to be during the heat of the summer. It is important to watch water temperatures as we get into the later summer months. If you are an angler that spends most their time fishing for trout, like us, you should avoid fishing when the water temperatures reach 68 degrees Fahrenheit or above. At these temperatures the trout stressed and adding in a fight with an angler could be fatal. Always practice proper catch and release techniques by keeping the fish in the water as much as possible, using barbless hooks, and letting the fish recover as much as possible before swimming away.
With the warm temperatures, the high elevation lakes become a great place for anglers to spend some time in the summer. Best fishing is generally from July – September. Insect hatches are usually significant, and if you can get a little away from the main highways (usually only a mile or two), the fish are far less pressured and much more willing to take your fly.
Take a look around at the insects hatching when you get to your body of water, but as a general rule my top dry fly’s for high alpine lakes during the summer are:
1. Parachute Adams
2. Mosquito
3. Black Ant
4. Black gnat
5. PMX
Based on the size of the fish in the lake, usually the size 16 – 18 flies work the best for us. When using larger flies, like stimulators, the fish seem to reject those flies more often upon inspection. Usually there is a lot of surface action on these lakes with trout feeding. Because the majority of the area is above 10,000 feet, ice forms on the lake around November, and doesn't come off until the beginning to middle of June. As suche, some lakes have a tendency to winter kill. If there isn't at least some surface action, it may be best to move on to another lake. Luckily, there are usually other lakes near by!
As always, get outside and tight lines!
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