Where to Go Spinney Reservoir
Current Reports
SUMMER HOURS 6 am to 6 pm Daily
Report Date: 7/14/2026
Current Conditions:
Spinney Mountain Reservoir is currently low. Denver Water has moved water through the Aurora-owned Spinney from Antero into Elevenmile. While it is low, fishing at Spinney Mountain Reservoir is excellent during the morning hours. As the heat warms up and the wind picks up, move on to other waterways. If you are targeting trout from the shore, the action is decent but highly spotty, making mobility crucial if you aren't seeing fish.
CPW’s official Spinney Mountain Pike Management Tournament is underway and continues through September. It’s heavily affecting how the lake is being fished. Because sampling showed a dangerous spike in northern pike predating on young trout, CPW is offering cash prizes to remove them.
Tactics:
Because the fish are highly mobile, the reservoir is best accessed by watercraft like float tubes or kayaks right now. Especially since historically low water levels across the South Platte Basin mean the boat ramps remain unusable for trailered boats, restricting water access to hand launching only. Static indicator or slow-crawling flies have been effective. This is also a good time to throw streamers. Location is the most important thing on this lake. Target areas that aren't too deep, but do have some gradient.
Hatches:
Tricos are still around. Chironomids are fading out for your surface activity, but don't forget about them subsurface. With July here, the Damsels should be popping.
Tips:
From watercraft, focus on "flats" type areas in 4-8 feet of water. From shore, try to fish areas that do have some gradient to them.
Photo by Josh Heney
Weather:
Short Term- Rain today! This is a continuation of some small, quick storms we have seen the last few days. We are very thankful for the moisture!
Long Term- Storms in the forecast!!! We are excited about the rain potential this week. Some afternoon showers are forecasted for today and the middle of the week. We are hoping we get hammered!!
NOW BOOKING STILLWATER TRIPS FOR 2026! KAYAK, FLOAT TUBE, OR WALK/WADE. EXPERIENCE OUR WORLD-CLASS STILLWATER WITH ONE OF OUR EXPERTS!
- Galloups Callibaetis, size 16
- Bubba's Callibaetis, size 16
- Rowley's Grey Boy, size 14
- Balanced leather leach, black/olive, size 10
- Poxyback callibaetis, size 16
Top Dry Flies for today:
- Parachute Adams, sizes 14-16
- Hackle Stacker callibaetis, size 16
- Sparkle dun callie, size 16
- Double dirty Hippie, brown, size 2
- Humdinger, tan, size 2
- Double Gonga, grey, size 4
- Baby Swim Coach, brown/yellow, size 4
See below for Spinney Mountain Reservoir Map, or CLICK HERE for a downloadable PDF.
Spinney Reservoir is one of the best stillwater fisheries in the entire western US. The regulations are flies and lures only and you can harvest one trout over 20 inches. Fish species include: Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Cuttbow trout, yellow perch, and Northern Pike. There are two boat ramps and several parking areas around the reservoir. It is a $9.00 daily pass fee to get in. Anglers bringing a boat make sure to clean it thoroughly because they are now inspecting for Zebra Mussels.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shot if you have any question or if you interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides to show you how to conquer Spinney Reservoir.