THE BLOG

Antero Reservoir closes to all recreation on May 13, 2026 as Denver Water drains it for drought response. Here's what's happening, what it means for the fishery, and where to redirect your trips for the rest of the season.

A Wyoming stillwater trip where chironomids and scuds dominated — and what it taught me about depth, sizing, and adding scuds to my Colorado box.

Depth matters more than pattern, color, or size combined. Here's how to find the feeding zone, dial it in with small adjustments, and lock it down once you find fish on Spinney, Antero, and 11 Mile.

Leader length, tippet size, indicator sensitivity, one-fly vs two-fly rigs, and how to adjust for wind. The complete chassis for chironomid fishing on Colorado stillwaters.

Balanced leeches suspended under an indicator are the single most underused stillwater technique in Colorado. Here's why they produce trophy fish from shore — and how to rig them.

You don't need a float tube or pontoon to land 20-inch trout in Colorado. Here's the complete system for shore-based stillwater fly fishing — tactics, rigs, and patterns that consistently produce without a boat.

Carter Lake and Horsetooth are two of the most overlooked trophy trout fisheries on the Front Range. Here's a complete guide to fishing them from shore — best times, patterns, depths, and access.

Chironomids are the most important food source in Colorado's high-altitude stillwaters — and most anglers are fishing them wrong. Here's what actually works at Antero, Spinney, and 11 Mile.

Depth selection makes or breaks your chironomid game. Learn how to read the water column, set your indicator correctly, and stay in the strike zone longer than anyone else on the bank.

Antero is one of Colorado's most technical stillwater fisheries. Here are the specific patterns, sizes, and colors that consistently produce at Antero throughout the season.

South Park is home to some of the most productive stillwater trout fisheries in the Rocky Mountain West. Here's what separates a great South Park guide from the rest — and what to expect on a guided day.

20"+ trout are out there in Colorado's stillwaters. Landing one consistently isn't luck — it's strategy. Here's exactly how we target trophy-class trout on guided trips at Antero, Spinney, and beyond.

While everyone crowds Antero and Spinney, savvy stillwater anglers head to Delaney Buttes and Lake John for some of Colorado's most consistent trophy trout fishing. Here's what you need to know.

You don't need 200 flies to fish Colorado stillwaters effectively. You need 5 patterns in the right sizes and colors. Here are the exact flies that produce fish at Antero, Spinney, and 11 Mile all season long.

Spinney Mountain Reservoir consistently produces some of the largest trout in Colorado, yet it flies under the radar compared to Antero. Here's a complete guide to fishing Spinney — when to go, what to throw, and where to stand.

11 Mile Reservoir is one of Colorado's most productive trophy trout fisheries — and most anglers don't know the half of it. Here's everything a serious stillwater angler needs to know: best access points, proven chironomid patterns, exact depths, and when to go.

Antero, Spinney Mountain, and 11 Mile are Colorado's premier stillwater fisheries — and chironomids are the key to all three. Here's a guide's breakdown of depth selection, indicator setup, and the tungsten bead patterns that move trophy trout.