06/11/2026
BLUE MESA WEEKLY FISHING & CONDITIONS REPORT 6/11/26
Remember!!! This report is meant to be a starting point that anglers can use to build on.
New This Week: Random orange buoys located around the lake, they are CPW Muscle Traps. Don't mess with them.
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📢 LAKE CONDITIONS:
Water Level: 64.87 ft below full
Elevation: 7454.53
Reservoir Capacity: 40.36% capacity
Inflow: 948 cfs
Outflow: 1715 cfs
Water Temp: 61°- 63°
Gunnison River Flow: 604 cfs
Bug Hatch: Swarms of bugs are hatching, bringing the fish closer to the surface. (FYI, these are not bitey bugs like mosquitoes; they are what we call midges. They can look like swarms of mosquitoes but don’t bite you.)
Shoreline MUD: With the lake dropping, it’s exposing shoreline that has been submerged, so use caution and wear boots that you don’t mind getting muddy if you are fishing the shoreline. Don’t park right at the water’s edge unless you want to have to call H&H Towing. 970-641-2628
Shoreline Trash: Anglers, we know you love Blue Mesa just as much as we do, and it's going to take all of us to protect it. Please remember to pack it in and pack it out.
Watch for wildlife: Wildlife babies are all around Blue Mesa right now, and more will arrive in the coming weeks. Although they are adorable to look at, DON’T touch or harass them. Give them space!
*The Bighorn sheep live in the cliffs around the Cebolla basin and can oftentimes be found alongside or ON the highway. Slow down through the section between Elk Creek and the Middle Bridge. Watch for deer and elk traveling across the highway, especially during low-light hours!
Highway Traffic Increasing: There has been a big increase in highway traffic around the lake, and some drivers are making very dangerous decisions. We’ve had a few close calls with bad drivers already this year.
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⭐ LAKE AMENITIES
Bathrooms: Open
Cleaning Stations: Open!
Marinas: Elk Creek & Lake Fork Open - See photos for details
🛥️ ⚠️Boating: Inspection required!
Motorized Boat Launching is available at Elk Creek and Lake Fork. Regular Hours 5:30 am - 8 pm, 7 Days a Week.
Elk Creek Ramp Curb: There is a curb that runs diagonally across the Elk Creek boat launch that longer trailers may drive over when launching near the dock, especially as water levels get lower. You can absolutely launch over it, but if you don’t know it’s there, it can catch you off guard a bit. If you would rather avoid driving your trailer over the curb, we recommend using the west-side launch lane (the side closest to the mountain).
The Iola Boat Ramp is closed, and there is no word yet on whether it can reopen with the lower water levels.
Prep Lanes: Using the boat prep lanes to load and situate everything in your boats before launching helps save time and reduces angler frustration at the boat ramps.
USE CAUTION when motoring; watch for swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, etc.
Curecanti NPS: As the water level continues to drop, boat ramps and marinas Elk Creek, Lake Fork, and Iola will be impacted. Based on current conditions, park staff will be taking the following adaptive actions when reservoir elevations reach the following levels:
At 7450’, Elk Creek Marina will be reconfigured to allow for continued operation.
At 7448’, Lake Fork boat ramp will not be safe for trailer launches. Launching and retrieving will shift to Elk Creek only. Lake Fork Marina will remain open and accessible.
At 7443’, the Lake Fork Marina walkway needs to be pulled to safe storage. Lake Fork Marina will continue to operate in modified location.
At 7440’, large vessels with deep drafts will need to be retrieved at Elk Creek ramp.
At 7435’, vessels less than 20’, or with shallow drafts, will need to be retrieved from Elk Creek ramp. The Elk Creek Marina will move to a deep-water, infrastructure-protection position. Blue Mesa Reservoir will be open only to day-use of motorized boats, with an Aquatic Invasive Species inspection.
At 7429’, Lake Fork Marina will move to deep-water, infrastructure protection position.
Kayak, Canoe, etc: Hand launch anywhere from the shoreline (if you don’t have an electric motor). The wind on Blue Mesa can kick up fast, going from flat calm to 4 ft waves in a hurry. (Usually blowing from West to East) Keep that in mind as you venture around the lake.
Don’t forget those lifejackets, everyone!
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🐟 WHAT’S BITING & HOW:
Early Summer Fishing Conditions At Blue Mesa:
Bug Hatch: Swarms of bugs are hatching, bringing the fish closer to the surface. If you're trolling, these fish will react to lures trolled fast near the surface. If you're casting lures, keep them near the top and moving fast. If you love to match the hatch and fly fish, now’s a fantastic time!
Perch: Most perch have now spawned, making them a bit tough to catch. Anglers are catching them both from the shoreline and boats. Various rigs and methods have been successful, including small jigs, drop shot rigs, worms, salmon eggs, etc. The key is to go from school to school, and eventually you will find the more active fish. They will all start to bite better as we approach July. (Remember, there are no limits on Perch since they are an invasive species!)
Brown Trout: These fish are very aggressive right now. They can be caught near the shoreline all the way out to 80 feet deep. Tubes, curly tails, and marabou jigs all work very well in perch and crawfish patterns. Suspending jerkbaits and various crankbaits will also work, especially as the water begins to warm.
Rainbow Trout: Roaming from the surface to 25 feet deep. These fish are very aggressive and are willing to bite most presentations. Cast and retrieve lures (spinners, Kastmasters, jerkbaits, etc.), jigging (tubes and other small plastics), and trolling (Kokanee-type gear) are all highly effective methods.
Lake Trout: Peak Season is quickly coming to a close. Most mature fish are beginning to get deeper as the lake surface temps warm, and bite windows are getting shorter. If you catch a big fish deep, make sure you take your time bringing it in, watch for air bubbles, and make sure you see a lot of them before landing these fish. And release them back quickly and in shallow water. Pup fishing is still excellent! Most are scattered throughout the lake, with the bigger numbers out deeper in 50 to 70 feet of water. Covering water is key to locating groups of feeding lake trout. Both jigging and trolling are producing great fish.
Kokanee Salmon: There is a really good population of Kokanee this year! Schools of these fish are concentrated in the Sapinero and Cebolla basin. Kokanee will group up over deeper water, searching for any available plankton. Most are being caught from 15-35 feet deep, but there are also schools of them being found as deep as 80 feet.
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🌤️ WEATHER & WIND:
Wind, wind, and more wind! Gusting in the afternoon all weekend through Tuesday 25-35 MPH. Afternoon highs in the 70 and 80s, overnight lows in the 40s.
The wind on Blue Mesa can come up seemingly out of nowhere, be extremely careful!!!
*We highly recommend getting the FREE Windy. c om app. The Windy app icon is a red square with a white W on it.
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