Gold Medal Trout Fishing
Teller County is your gateway to gold medal trout fishing in Colorado's Pikes Peak area. Reservoirs, lakes, and countless miles of gold medal trout streams encourage novice and experts alike to test their luck & skill fishing our clear Colorado waterways.
Catamount Reservoirs, North & South
The recreation area consists of 2, 267 acres of forest type lands and the North and South Catamount and Crystal Reservoirs.
The Pikes Peak North Slope Recreation Area is managed by the City of Colorado Springs in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service. Recreational opportunities include bank fishing, non-gasoline powered boating, belly boating, mountain biking, picnicking, hiking and scenic enjoyment. These activities are regulated to assure relatively low environmental impact and minimal management requirements.
2011 Season and Hours
May 1st - May 27th 09:00 am - 04:00 pm
May 28th - Sept. 5th 07:30 am - 07:00 pm
Sept. 6th - Sept. 30th 07:30 am - 06:00 pm
Oct. 1st - Oct. 17th 09:00 am - 04:00 pm
Closed for Peak race on June 26th and Bike event on August 28th.
Fees
(North Slope Recreation Area only)
NSRA fee is $4.00 Per Person (16 years and Older)
Children under 16 are Free
Purchase a pass with 30 punches for $100.00
Pikes Peak Highway Fees
(Includes North Slope Recreation Area AND access to the summit)
December 1 to April 30
Adults (16 and over): $10 per person
Children (6-15): $4 per child
Carload Rate (up to 5 people): $35 per car
- Additional Adults: $7 per person
- Additional Children: $2 per child
May 1 to November 30
Adults (16 and over): $12 per person
Children (6-15): $5 per child
Carload Rate (up to 5 people): $40 per car
- Additional Adults: $ 8 per person
- Additional Children: $ 2 per child
Elevenmile Reservoir
The reservoir is open to boating a 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Use extreme caution, as floating ice may be present. Trout action is fair. Trout currently are spawning, providing the year's best opportunity for a trophy catch, if patient, using hot-color Power Baits, various jigs and spoons, and night crawlers. Pike fishing is fair to poor using Rapalas and sucker meat.
Manitou Lake Recreation Area
Fishing success largely depends on periodic stocking. The lake is on U.S. Forest Service property and has picnic tables and other facilities. An entry fee is required. Forest Service campgrounds are nearby.
Rampart Reservoir
Water levels at Rampart and nearby Nichols reservoirs are much improved. Fishing access should be available, but may change with Homeland Security concerns. Boat-ramp access is to be available May 13-Oct. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the following restrictions: No rental vans; Class A, B or C motorhomes, or trailers over 22 feet will be allowed across the dam; and no stopping or fishing will be permitted within 500 feet of the dam. With little pressure the past few years, fishing for most species should be good to excellent. Early season is an especially good time to fish, with rainbows cruising along the shore and mackinaw (in Rampart) in shallow water. Fishing for rainbows should remain good through the summer in both reservoirs. The main recreation area will open in late May.
Skaguay Reservoir
Late last week the reservoir had a thin layer of ice with a small area of open water by the spillway. With continued warm weather, the lake could be fishable this week.
South Platte River (btwn Spinney and Elevenmile)
The river is restricted to catch-and-release fishing and fishing with artificial flies or lures. Trout are spawning in the river, providing an opportunity for trophy catches in deeper pools using orange and yellow egg patterns, No. 18-20 Scuds, San Juan Worms, No. 20-22 Miracle Nymphs, No. 20-22 Black Beauties, and No. 18-22 Copper Johns.
South Platte River, Deckers area
The stream flow through last weekend was 156 cfs. The river through Cheesman Canyon and the Deckers area has been consistently good the past several weeks. Trout increasingly have been moving out of the holes and into the riffles. Spordic midge hatches and the occasional BWO have been spotted, uner optimal conditions. The best success has been fishing with nymphs, bead-head Black Beauties, bead-head Flashback Pheasant Tails, RS-2s, San Juan worms, scuds, Red Midge Larvae and Cheesman Emergers. If at all possible, please stay away from the spawning redds. They are easily identified by the distinctive hollowed-out spots with clean gravel, about 18 inches across.
South Platte River, Elevenmile Canyon
The flow has been stable around 50 cfs, the river is clear and fish are becoming increasingly active. Though midge and blue-wing-olive mayfly activity is a little more common, the best fishing results remain subsurface. The best bets among fly patterns have been Buckskins, Dorsey's Mercury, Black Beauty, Flashback Pheasant Tail, Red Misge Larva, Gray RS-2, and San Juan Worm. Anglers are reminded to please avoid stomping through the trout spawning redds. They will appear as a divot, usually about 18 inches across, where the gravel has been cleaned off.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir
Trout are spawning, offering trophy-catch opportunities. Only artificial flies and lures are permitted, with a bag limit of one trout at least 20 inches long. Spinney will be open a 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset, with no boating or fishing a 1/2 hour after sunset. Only the north boat ramp is in operation. The water level is 4.2 vertical feet from capacity, the best opening-day level in recent years.
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