At Mile 3 of segment 24 there is a side trail that leads down to Verdes lake. Made the mistake of telling a friend how easy it was to catch Trout there and now he wants to go.
I don’t want to hike Seg 24 again so are there any other segments that have good trout fishing?
TiffanyinTexas
Can easily hike to Verde Lakes on routes other than The Colorado Trail. Most common is from Cunningham Gulch past Highland Mary Lakes. Another option is from Whitehead Trail via Kendall Mtn Road.
Other CT Segments with fishing include Segment 19 along Cochetopa Creek. Drive in from Gunnison via either Eddiesville or another set of roads to a point maybe 7 miles downstream of Eddiesville.
On Track
Thanks for the info about Segment 19. I was reading the guide and thought that might be our best chance for Trout. I can’t imagine a lot of thru-hikers stop to fish but was hoping maybe someone knew of some good places.
I don’t think I’ll have time to hike the entire trail anytime in the next four years but I’ll slowly whittle it down (last year was seg 1-13 & 24)so if possible if I take the money and time to drive back to Colorado, I want to hit some segments I haven’t already done.
TiffanyinTexas
Any place where there is not a great deal of pressure on the fish will be a great place to go and you will have better chances at landing one, or several. the key is–the farther you get away from civilization, the fewer people will be willing to go there and as such, the fish will be more naive and willing to bite. Being an avid fisherman, I might suggest a couple of things. Find a high basin lake away from roads where the people will really have to work to get there. Google maps satellite images–this is the main tool I use when scouting for hunting areas and fishing spots. Sometimes I hit pay dirt, sometimes I get a dried up lake-bed. The San Juans are great for fishing, and scenery. That is where I would concentrate my efforts. And, while I am at it–if I am driving all the way to Colorado to fish, I am going to call Nate B at Animas Valley Anglers. I took my daughter fishing on the San Juan River below Navajo lake in NM (just south of Durango) and we were covered up in trout scales. Like I said, if you are going to spend the money to go to Colorado, hire a guide. The cost is about $4-500 for a day of fishing for 2 people (tip is customarily 20%) And you are using the guides river-boat and expertise. That makes up for a lot of frustration if you are not catching anything. It is one thing to hike and sit on a lakeshore and “plunk” waiting for the trout to bite, a complete separate experience to go and target fish. I know I deviated from your OP, yet if you are specifically going to fish, you might need to plan accordingly. You’ll definitely want to pinch your barbs to make catch and release easier on the fish (and use artificial flies.)
Off trail, Haviland Lake and Electra Lake are great places to fish for dinner. The lake trout in Electra lake are second to NONE. Think Salmon.
Stephen / Birdog