The extra mile: Catching remote alpine lake trout
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Many readers here may have seen the headline that in October the Colorado state record for Brook Trout was broken again since the last record set in May of 2022. That last record had stood for 75 years and was a catch from Monarch Lake. An unofficial new state record was also caught at Waterdog Lake since May but was not certified. Then this most recent record catch made by Matt Smiley was also made at Waterdog Lake.
Any state record breaking story is compelling but the pattern here is that the angler put in the extra effort to reach the overlooked locations that make these catches possible. Matt hiked 3.9 miles at an elevation gain of 2,400 feet. Both lakes sit at about 8,000 feet elevation making them a challenge for many anglers to even get to before they begin the pursuit of these wary, uber-clear water inhabiting trout.
This fly fishing is not for everyone and it’s perhaps not realistic for many anglers to take on a multi-hour hike to reach a fishing spot. Therein lies both the challenge and potentially the reward in pursuing overlooked locations. As gameandfishmag.com points out
“California boasts 14 million acres of wilderness. Oregon has 37 wilderness areas. Washington lists 2,600 lakes in the Cascades alone. You could spend a lifetime exploring gorgeous country and never fish the same water twice.”
I have had plenty of experience in this myself primarily chasing fish in places many don’t bother. Creeks behind Wal Mart strip malls and under highway overpasses are some of my favorite places where I love to catch fish many don’t know live there at all. These spots I’m describing definitely hold no trout but logging 18,000+ steps working a stream is not unusual.
A fellow angler who can appreciate the pursuit of alpine lake trout and was not daunted by the hike required is Ben Lowry who found some remarkable cutthroat trout in a trip to Paradise Lakes in Colorado. Ben was gracious enough to share his story and we researched some tactics and gear you can use to do the same.
Tell us about how you decided to pursue Cutthroat trout in the alpine lakes of Colorado? My wife and I wanted to spend a week fishing and hiking all over south central Colorado. It was great being able to spend time with each other without the stressors of everyday life, while at the same time stepping out of our comfort zones. A lot of places we went didn't have trails, were at high elevation, and on average were five miles from where we parked our car. Our most memorable experience was fishing a string of Lakes at 11,500 ft elevation called Paradise lakes.
How did you get to these alpine lake trout? Just getting to the side of the mountain where we would start our hike required a two mile canoe trip across a very deep reservoir. After the canoe trip came the climb, it was only a mile in length but an 1,000ft increase in elevation.
What was your fishing experience when you finally arrived?
The fishing was incredible, the trout just slammed the dry flies. We really didn't even match the hatch, we just used whatever big dry flies we had. That meant the lake was so clear that you could see the trout shoot up like a missile from eight feet deep to take the fly.
Any additional advice for anglers looking to do the same? When we decided to head back we took a few minutes just to take everything in and appreciate where we were at. We plan on making more trips similar to this one but I know for a fact we'll never forget Paradise Lakes.
This shot from Ben gives you an idea just how crystal clear these alpine lakes can get.
Below are some additional tips to help you get started in this pursuit of alpine lake trout:
Use stealth, observe feeding activity for patterns, and lead the fish by a good margin of distance
Dry fly standard patterns will work including blue winged olive, elk hair caddis, and parachute adams, in sizes such as 18 or 20.
Leader length to 10+ feet would also be recommended with a leader 5-7x
Standard combo gear like a 5WT would work just fine with a weight forward floating line.
For another take on alpine lake fly fishing for Colorado trout, check out the below from Hardman Fishing Adventures, recently featured on the blog as well.
Alpine lakes provide another option for the adventure-seeking angler whose not afraid to go where others can’t or won’t. Each hike can provide a new discovery and if you’re really lucky, maybe a new state record!
