What We Catch and When

I can honestly say that there is never a “bad” time to fish the local lakes and reservoirs that surround the Steamboat area. Only for a week or two in late March do we take a step back, while as the ice begins to melt. It is during this time that the Spring transition back to open water begins. This process happens rather quickly, and many fisherman take advantage of the new pockets of open water where the pre-spawn bite becomes hot and heavy.

We catch Walleye throughout the entire year, however, just after ice off is when we catch the largest of the season. As the water temperatures peak in the 70’s during late July, the fish tend to move into deeper parts of the reservoir seeking cooler temps from the summer sun. Having mastered a few different techniques over the years, SFA possesses surefire ways that allow clients to consistently bag limits and land trophy trout throgh the warmest months of the year. The warmer water temps certainly don’t stop the bad attitude of the Northern Pike from biting everything in sight. In fact, I have seen more 30-40” Pike in my live wells during the peak of summer months, than any other time of the year.

As the leaves begin to change and the smell of Fall fills the air, my favorite time to be on the water arrives. The water temperatures begin to decrease while Mother Nature sounds her alarm, reminding all fish and fisherman that winter is near. The changing of seasons envoke a mindset and instinctual behavior that is exposed by the need to feed. Rainbow Trout, Grayling, aggressive Northerns and Walleye gorge on baitfish until they are stuffed to the gills. The bite continues to stay as the ice begins to set.

Just after the Christmas holiday our (hard water) ice fishing season begins. Without a doubt, the Trout fishing in the winter is when and where we put up big numbers. 15-30 rainbows per trip measuring15-25 inches would not be out of the ordinary. As the fishery has continued to rapidly mature because of devoted stocking efforts made by our DOW employees, numbers like that have become to be expected. Never in my countless ice adventures can I recall a dull moment when jigging monster rainbows thru the ice. The winter months spent fishing thru the ice is where I built my reputation and love to spread my passion. The hard water season is spent in the comfort of our Aluma-Lite custom ice houses where the action is hot and you stay warm. Whether you book the ultimate night adventure using over 100,000 lumens of light, or an early morning trip spent with the rising sun, it will be a adventure one will never forget!