Fishing near Denver?

My wife is a Denver Broncos fan and I am a New Orleans Saints fan. With that in mind we are making the trip from South Dakota to Denver to watch the Saints whup up on the home team on September 21.

We will have most of the day Saturday, Sept. 20 to goof off. What are some fishing opportunities near Denver? Within an hour or so drive would be nice.

Last fall we spent some time in Colorado and I did some fishing on the Big Thompson near Estes Park. Had a great time but might like to try something different this time. Any suggestions? Thanks.

You can go to Waterton Canyon Southwest of Denver and fish the lower South Platte there. There is a path you can walk or bikeride to access the river. Along the canyon there are Mule Deer and Bighorn Sheep. The Closest cities are Lakewood and Littleton. The recreation area can be accessed via highway 121. The canyon is pretty and scenic plus very convenient since it’s just outside of Denver.

i’d head out and try to fish the deckers area of the south platte.

just google “denver to deckers” for the directions and milage

Royce,
I’d second the Deckers area . Not too many small ones there. And then there’s also Clear Creek that parallels I-70 just West of D, between D and Idaho Springs. It’s Coors source for water so do use other “facilities” if need arises ( some say that obviously, this suggestion is seldom honored).
Have a great trip . GO BEARS.

Mark

You can’t hurt the taste of Coors by whizzing in the water. And since I don’t drink, no need to go to any trouble of finding another spot. LOL.

That’s right next door to where I work, and only about 10 minutes from my house! Yes, I love living in Colorado!!! :smiley: There are fish in there, but they’re generally not terribly big. Deckers would be a better bet for higher quality fish.

However, for about the same amount of time driving as Deckers (but longer distance), I might recommend the Blue River below Dillon Reservoir in Silverthorne. It is easy access, and if the wife doesn’t fish, there’s shopping for her right there.

You just drive straight up I-70, go through the Eisenhower tunnel, get off the interstate at the bottom of the hill, park at the factory outlet stores, don your waders, and step into the river. :cool: Yes, the river is that close to the parking lot. It runs right behind the factory outlet stores and under I-70. There are some huge fish in there, but it can be tough fishing. Also, if you don’t like crowds on the bridge watching you fish, stay upstream or downstream of the stores. If you feel a bit more adventurous, there are a couple of good spots just upstream of the bridge, and a good hole just past the bridge right above the weir, but you’ll have a peanut gallery the whole time. That’s not too bad if you’re catching fish (lots of compliments), but you can catch some very interesting remarks otherwise.

Good luck!!! :tieone:

PS - Here’s an aerial of the river behind the factory outlet stores:
Blue River in Silverthorne

PPS - The river is public access pretty much through most of Silverthorne. You can fish anywhere from the little bridge just below the outlet down to the Hwy. 9 bridge. There are also some good public access points further downstream if you go North on Hmy. 9 a little ways.

WOW, Not only do these guys tell you where to fish they even supply Pictures and parking info!
This is truly a great site. :smiley:
I think we will need a report of how you get on.
All the best.
Mike.

Thanks for all of the tips! I will do a bit of research on which will fit our plans best. I’ll be sure to report back after the trip. Thanks again!

Royce, If you fish the Silverthorne area, Cutthrouat anglers in Silverthorne is a good shop with guides and info. Try Colorado fishing.net for research !

Here is a good article about some of the better tailwaters in the state. It talks a little bit about the Blue River in Silverthorne.

Also, I second the recommendation for Cutthroat Anglers.