Grand Lake

Surface temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Lake trout bite is fair, the bite has slowed down a bit this week, however lakers are still being caught in 35-50 feet of water. Small jigs worked along the bottom have been producing fish. Tipping jigs with sucker meat or using scent has been critical to getting fish to bite.

Water has been pumping from lake Granby into Grand Lake all week which has led to a bunch of suspended fish on the west end of the lake. The rainbow and brown trout bite has been good this week with the best bite happening early in the morning and late in the evening. Small paddle tails and spinners have been producing well.  

Williams Fork

The east boat ramp hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The water level is 100%. Inflow is 264 cubic feet per second, outflow is 288 cfs. Surface temperature early in the morning is 63 Fahrenheit and warming to 65-66 on a clear low wind days. Visibility is still about 10 feet.

Lake trout fishing is fair to good depending on the day. I’m seeing an average of seven to 10 fish per rod. Lakers are starting to migrate to deeper, cooler water, but for another week or so mixed age groups can be caught between 50-60 feet.

Small plastics tipped with sucker meat jigged very slowly and gently (less than 6-foot lift) is producing bites. The bite drops off mid-morning. To keep them biting start adding your favorite scent. When you run out of biters it’s time to move.

Brown trout are active early morning along the rocky shoreline north of the east boat ramp and the inlet. Fishing for northern pike is slow due to low population. Many of the remaining pike are adapting to low food supply and have moved out of their traditional shallow water locations. Please practice catch and release on all northerns.

The lake hasn’t been stocked with rainbows or Kokanees since 2019 in an effort to control gill lice, so there isn’t much action fishing for them.

Lake Granby

Boat ramp hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Water level is 99% or approximately 1 foot below full. Surface temperatures are starting out at 61 degrees Fahrenheit in the morning and warming to 67 degrees by the end of the day.

Fishing for rainbow trout and brown trout has been fair. Target the inlet areas with Little Cleo, Kastmaster spinners or a small piece of worm under a float in the current seams of the moving water. On windy days the wind blown rocky shorelines can be very productive.  

Lake trout action has been very good. Look for fish in 50-85 feet of water along drop offs or points. Twisty tail grubs with a contrasting color jig head tipped with an assortment of colors depending on the day with a fresh piece of sucker meat has been our go to lately.  Don’t be afraid to explore, we are finding the most active fish away from the most popular spots, especially after the busy holiday weekend.  

The Fishing with Bernie team has been guiding in Grand County for over 25 years. For more info please check out FishingWithBernie.com.