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Blue Mesa Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Colorado's biggest lake: kokanee salmon central and lake trout that eat them.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
75 / 79 F
Wind
WNW 13 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 382847107120401, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Blue Mesa Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 13 mph, rising pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 79. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchFair

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 78 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from BLUE MESA RES WEST OF DRY GULCH NEAR SAPINERO, CO.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low79 / 47 F
WindWNW 13-17 mph
Pressure1005.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 10%
Sunrise / Sunset06:40 / 19:33
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 79/47 F, wind 17 mph, rain 10%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Blue Mesa Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Blue Mesa Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Blue Mesa Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 78 F, wind to 18 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 23 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Walleye led the card at good. High of 76 F, wind to 23 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 74 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Colorado requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Kokanee 10/day in season. Lake trout: review current CPW rules: harvest encouraged some size classes.

Access

Elk Creek, Lake Fork, Iola, Stevens Creek ramps (inspection stations mandatory).

About this water

9,180 acres on the Gunnison, Gunnison County, CO. Curecanti NRA, impounded 1966. Colorado's largest lake.

Fishing Blue Mesa Reservoir: the full guide

High-country big water

Blue Mesa holds Colorado's largest kokanee salmon population: summer trolling with dodgers is a family tradition: and the lake trout that grew fat on them (state-record class) haunt the depths. Rainbows and browns work the shorelines: at 7,500 feet, the seasons compress and the scenery distracts.

Kokanee capital of Colorado

Blue Mesa's kokanee run Colorado's biggest salmon program: summer trollers pull dodgers and pink squids at 30-60 ft over the Sapinero basin, filling smokers statewide. The fish school hard: find one on the graph and circle: limits come in flurries.

Lake trout heavyweights

The same cold depths grow Colorado's record-class lakers: 40-plus-pounders eating planted kokanee. Winter jigging through ice near Dillon Pinnacles and summer deep-trolling both produce: a trophy program that coexists uneasily and spectacularly with the salmon.

Common questions

When is Blue Mesa kokanee best?

July-August for trolling numbers: fish at prime size before the fall spawn run up the Gunnison. Early mornings before the canyon wind is the program.

Wind, water, and access math

Blue Mesa's canyon geometry funnels afternoon wind like a turbine: the fleet fishes dawn-to-noon and surrenders the whitecaps. Shore access along US-50 is generous (Iola flats, Sapinero pull-offs) for bank-casting spoons at cruising rainbows and browns spring and fall. Check reservoir elevation before hauling a big boat: drought years strand ramps and reshape every launch plan.

Do I need an inspection at Blue Mesa?

Yes: mandatory mussel inspection before launch at all Curecanti ramps. Arrive with a clean, drained, dry boat and the process takes minutes: budget for the queue on summer weekends.

Is fishing good at Blue Mesa Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Taylor River24 miUncompahgre River31 miRidgway Reservoir34 miSan Miguel River55 miRoaring Fork River62 miTwin Lakes62 mi
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