Where to Go Elevenmile Reservoir

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FALL HOURS: 9AM TO 6PM DAILY

Eleven Mile State Park is now open to motorized boats. North Shore Boat Ramp is the only launch that is open.  All south boat ramps are now closed for the season. The majority of park facilities are also now closed.

Report Date: 9/22/2023  

Current Conditions: 

Its feeling like fall in South Park right now. 11 Mile has picked up recently with the cooler weather, and this should continue on to ice-on.  Late summer/early fall can be a fantastic time to hit our area lakes. This year should be no exception to that. The fish have really started to key in on flies with motion. The callebaetis are pretty much done, but you will still see a few here and there. After that, the damselflies have earned the attention of the trout. Expect gaps between action as that is very common in stillwater fly fishing. Focus on shallower water when the damsels are starting to move around. Stay persistent. The fish are spread out and there is opportunity all over the lake. While you can still get some chances from shore, some type of watercraft is ideal. Float tubes, kayaks, and boats are all great ways to fish this lake.  Anglers will have success fishing under indicators, slow crawling bugs, and even stripping streamers. Your fishing location on the lake will be key right now. The Pike bite has really been heating up and this is a great time to target these predatory fish.

Hatches: 

 We are starting to see increased midge (chironomid) activity as expected.  These hatches wont be as intense as the spring hatches, but will be enough to get the trout paying attention to them. There is still good damselfly activity as well. These bugs are easier to focus on in their premature life stages, but you can still get some opportunity on the surface. Leaches, scuds, and even worms are all taking some fish, and dont forget about streamers! 

Tactics: 

 Static indicator nymphing is usually the most effective method, but slow stripping flies (crawling) will also be a good bet right now, especially for damsels, leeches, scuds, and even some callebaetis.  For more on the midge stripping technique, check it out HERE. Depth will be key and at this time of year the fish will be in all sorts of different depths of water. On your static rigs, be sure to space your flies out so you can cover different areas of the water column. If you are crawling flies, be sure to use a type 1 or 2 intermediate sink line. These are a great tool for this technique.  Streamers have also been taking a good amount of fish. We would advise using some extremely heavy terminal tackle for streamers. There are Northern Pike in this lake and they have been known to attack streamers. 40+ lb. fluorocarbon is a good idea.  Go heavy on your other terminal tackle with 3x and even 2x. Stillwater fish are not leader shy..Take advantage of that. Its also a great time to throw hopper/dropper rigs!

Weather: 

  Today and Saturday will be extremely windy. Use caution if your planning on being out on a boat, it could get ugly. Temps will remain in the upper 60's/ low 70's. Things do look dry for the next week so we shouldnt really see any precipitation. Lows will be in the 30's, so be prepared for that. It would be a good idea to start packing that jacket in your car. 

  Fish will be cruising in pods looking for food. You may get hits one after another and then experience a slow down. This is common in stillwater and represents that feeding behavior. Stay mobile, and if you are not getting any action start to play with your depth. The right depth will be key right now. Expect to see trout feeding anywhere from 10 feet to 20+ feet of depth.  A little bit of wind is a GOOD THING for stillwater, dont get discouraged if there is wind in the forecast. 

This is an area we offer guided walk/wade and boat trips. There is no better way to learn our trophy stillwater fisheries than hiring one of professional Guides!  Please give us a call if you are interested! 

RECOMMENDED PATTERNS 

For a custom fly assortment for this location, click here! 

Our top 6 nymphs for today- 

•  
  • Chans baby damsel, green,. sizes 12-16
  • Zebra Midge, blck/red, sizes 16-20
  • Ice cream cone, black/red/white, sizes 16-20
  • Rickards stillwater nymph, green, size 16
  • Frostbite Chironomid, brown, sizes 16-18
  • Tereyla's Lightspeed leach. Black, brown. Sizes 14-16

Our top Dry flies for today- 

• • • Parachute Adams, brown Size 12-16
    • Adult damsel. olive/blue, size 12-16
    • Amy's Ant. Green, red, sizes 12-14

Our top Streamer patterns for today- 

• • Meat Whistle, white, brown, black. Size 6-8
  • Wooly Bugger, white, yellow, sizes 8-12
  • Slumpbuster. All colors, Sizes 6-8
  • Baby Gonga, all colors. Sizes 6-8