Public Land. Take Hwy 149 southwest from Gunnison. The Lake Fork Hunt & Fish Club controls a great deal of exceptional hunting on both private and public lands. The project partners and the family will collaborate with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to formalize permanent public access for fly-fishing along 0.62 miles of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River that flows through the property. We had 4 bars of Verizon 3G so voice was fine but data throughput was dismal at best. Cancel … Lake Fork of the Gunnison flows from Lake City, CO in the San Juan mountains to the Gunnison River at Blue Mesa Reservoir. As others have mentioned - very little cellular service here. East Portal . The river's source is Sloan Lake near Handies Peak in the San Juan Mountains of Hinsdale County. at Gateview. GUNNISON RIVER NEAR GUNNISON, CO.. USGS. Lake Fork of Gunnison River Flies. Comments. Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. We chose an area near an avalanche slide several miles upstream. There are also many campgrounds, RV parks, and cabins you can rent nearby that make fishing the Lake Fork near Blue Mesa Reservoir more of a vacation and less of a wilderness hiking and fishing excursion. Use the hatch chart above to know what flies you will want to have in your fly box during your adventure on the river and then select the flies here 30 days before your trip to get them at a great price. Kokanee are stocked into the Lake Fork at Red Bridge to provide fall snagging opportunities for this species in the Lake Fork below Red Bridge. All types of camping from tents to large RVs can be accommodated at Lake Fork. It is best fished following run off through fall. Get directions to access points, boat ramps, and real-time USGS stream flow data. Accommodations range from motels and cabins to RV sites and tent camping. Please feel free to drop us a note through the "Contact R&R" menu option at the top of the page. Lake Fork also tends to stay pretty quiet throughout the season due to the technical difficulty of fishing the richer stretches of its waters. Lake Fork Campground NPS in Gunnison, Colorado: 1 reviews, 2 photos, & 0 tips from fellow RVers. Floaters Guide to Colorado, D. Wheat Rapid Descriptions. Download today, and you can record, track, and navigate for free. Visit our DIY Guide to the Best Fly Fishing in Colorado. The rivers source is Sloan Lake above the largest natural lake in Colorado, Lake San Cristobal above Lake City. This river contains a high density population of trout with the opportunity to catch decent size fish as well. Lake Fork of Gunnison Fishing Information Main Section - near Gunnison, CO A longer river than it looks, there is ample access in both the lower sections and the upper sections. The mayfly hatch in the springtime is your best bet for early prime season fishing, and caddis flies are the best summer hatch by far. Lake Fork of the Gunnison. Only non-motorized boats are allowed. In this area, there is easy access to the Lake Fork and a public campground. Put-in at whatever access point looks best. Looking for more places to fish? Copyright 2020 DIY Fly Fishing, all rights reserved. News. Numerous access points are available thanks to Curecanti National Recreation Area. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has stocked more than 24,000 fingerling and catchable trout in the Lake Fork in … Live Water Enjoy access to one of the West’s premier private fishing and hunting clubs! The club hosts over 3 miles of the world-famous Lake Fork of the Gunnison River as well as 12 fully stocked and active trout lakes. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison dumps into Blue Mesa just above the dam. Upper Gunnison River. Rules for the Lake Fork: Access can be difficult in stretches but the scenery is spectacular. Redcloud Getaway - $313 avg/night - Lake City - Amenities include: Internet, Pets Welcome, TV, Satellite or cable, Parking, Heater Bedrooms: 4 Sleeps: 8 Pet friendly Minimum stay from 3 night(s) Bookable directly online - Book vacation rental 7323473 with Vrbo. Recommended fly patterns for Lake Fork include:- Micro Egg (pink/org #18)- RS2 (grey #20)- TH Zebra Midge (black #20)- TH Zebra Midge (cream #20)- Tunghead Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail (PT #16)- Tunghead Hare's Ear Flashback (HE #16)- Globug Egg (orange #16)- San Juan Worm (brown #14)- Parachute Adams (gray #18)- Two Bit Hooker (red #14). Unit Lake Fork Gunnison SWA for the majority of game species covers approximately 42 acres,. Alerts. Explore the NEW USGS National Water Dashboard; to access real-time data from over 13,500 stations nationwide. Much of the Lake Fork is managed as a quality trout fishery with flies and lures regulations in place on most river segments between High Bridge Gulch and the Red Bridge Campground. Check to see what their "offseason" time of year is, and book accordingly. Lake Fork of the Gunnison River - There is public fishing access from about 14 miles north to 2.5 miles south of Lake City along Highway 149. Respect Private Property. Lake Fork Campground is located 27 miles west of Gunnison on CO Highway 92 near the intersection with U.S. Highway 50 on the shore of Blue Mesa Reservoir. Lake Fork flows through Lake San Cristobal and Lake City before a confluence with the Gunnison River in Blue Mesa Reservoir. Another parking area can be found just before the Sapinero bridge on US 50 West coming from Gunnison. Lake Fork Gunnison River or Lake Fork is a 64.7-mile-long (104.1 km) tributary of the Gunnison River in Colorado. The best time to target migrating kokanee is generally late September. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River begins in high mountains in the western region of the U.S. state of Colorado, draining the northeastern part of the San Juan Mountains. 42 acres. View the DIY Fly Fishing Web Map to get turn-by-turn directions to the access points shown on the map above. Access can be difficult in stretches but the scenery is spectacular. will meet up with the Lake Fork. Blue Mesa Reservoir spans 20 miles and boasts over 96 miles of shoreline. The Gunnison River offers several public access points (see map above) for wading, though fishing from drift boats when the waters are high is preferable. You have access to over 1,376.69± deeded acres of strategically located ranch land, including one of the West’s finest trout fisheries. The railroad bed and trestle of a bridge owned by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad that once spanned the canyon still remain at this site. When the line was abandoned, timbers from the bridge were removed and used to build a school in Gunnison. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison River rushes toward Blue Mesa Reservoir just south of the Red Bridge campground 17 miles north of Lake City. PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION. The river has many long runs and deep pools, and aquatic insects are to be found just about everywhere. If you do decide Lake Fork is the right spot for you, some special regulations govern different stretches of the river. The Gate is a great spot for picnics, camping, and fishing access to the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. The lake views were gorgeous, access to and from the area was easy and it was a perfect location to explore Montrose, The Grand Mesa, etc to the west and north as well as Gunnison and Crested Butte to the east! Not only is it one of the most beautiful stretches of mountain river for fly fishing in all of Colorado, but it also boasts some of the most productive Gold Medal waters in the west. After passing through Lake San Cristobal, one of the larger natural lakes of Colorado, it is joined at Lake City by Henson Creek, and from there flows north. As for what rod to bring, a 9-foot, 5-wt is pretty standard. Lots of opportunity for bank fishing, but you may want to pack some hip waders for the more extensive sections. Lake Fork Public Access Facilities. The waters here are so rich with trout at Lake Fork that the CDOW has stated that it has more than double the number of 14-inch and larger trout to qualify as a Gold Medal fishery. High Bridge . With approximately 14 miles total of public fishing access, the Lake Fork is excellent for fishing from the banks or for wade fishing. Access to the river for Lake Fork is usually accomplished via the campground roads from the highway just outside of Gunnison You can also hike from San Cristobal Lake Inlet as well if you don't mind making your way over a little rough country. A lot of anglers find some of the best fishing near Cherry Creek or downriver over Argenta Falls. To reach Cinnamon Gorge, take 30 RD up the Lake Fork of the Gunnison from Lake San Cristobal. Watch for private property as you go, and always ask permission from property owners if you happen on private land or a posted sign in your travels. Runs and Riffles was started in February of 2019 as an extension of one person's fly fishing hobby. Min/Max Elevation. We'd love to hear from you! Anglers in search of trophy rainbows, cutthroats, and browns in large numbers will not be disappointed should they decide to visit the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River. Gunnison River Flow and Current Conditions. Colorado Public Access Properties Lake Fork Gunnison SWA. Leave A Comment. Lake Fork Arm. Lake Fork Gunnison 02. This comparatively uncrowded trout stream is surrounded by stunning scenery, has big fish potential, and angles particularly well in the springtime. The blog was created as an outlet that allows us to share information, stories and tutorials about all things related to fly fishing we can. Fly fishing has historically been allowed on the property through a handshake agreement with the landowner.