Outdoor conditions report for April 17, 2024

Fishing Conditions

Anglers are trickling out to the area waters between the bouts of cold and windy weather. When temperatures ticked way up last weekend, area lakes and reservoirs were popular. The fishing is generally on the slow side, as water temperatures remain cool. The ice is out, or on the way out, at the lower elevations, but it’ll be a while at the upper elevations. While the catching might be on the slow side, just tossing a line is a reminder that spring is in the air, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

Ranking Categories

H (One fish): To ensure fish dinner, go to the local grocery store

HHHHH (Five fish): Toss a line and get a fish; the fish aren’t picky

Granite, Crystal and North Crow reservoirs

HH

The buzz: The ice is off, and the fish are starting to move. Fishing is great, but the catching is on the slow side. The biking and hiking trail conditions change with the weather, although the lower elevation trails are in good shape for early season pedaling and hiking.

Suggested bait, lures and flies:

Nightcrawlers

Salmon eggs

Panther martins

Mepps spinners

Wooly buggers

Hothead leeches

Chironomids

Laramie Plains lakes

HH

The buzz: The open-water fishing season is off and running across the Laramie Basin. The ice is off all reservoirs, although it lingers here and there. The fish are sluggish, making for slow catching, but anglers report getting a few. For now, it’s best to avoid tossing a line at Meebour. That reservoir might have a winter kill, but the extent of the impact won’t be known for a couple weeks.

Suggested bait, lures and flies:

Nightcrawlers

Kastmasters

Hothead leeches

Chironomids

Bead head prince nymphs

Orange blossom specials

North Platte River and Encampment River – Saratoga Valley

HH

The buzz: Fishing is on the slow side, but the North Platte and Encampment rivers are open. Nights are still nippy, keeping the angling on the slow side.

Suggested bait, lures and flies:

Panther martins

Rapalas

Hares ear nymphs

Copper Johns

Flash bang midge

Pat’s rubber legs

Thin mints

North Platte River – Grey Reef

HHH

The buzz: The fishing is quite good. The river was recently flushed, but flows are back to 500 cubic feet per second.

Suggested bait, lures and flies:

Amber scuds

Pine squirrel leeches

Rock worms

Squirmy worms

Juju midges

Thin mint

Goldies

North Platte River – Miracle Mile

HHH

The buzz: The flows at the Mile are at 1,500 cubic feet per second, with the angling on the slow side. With the cold water, nymphing is the best strategy.

Suggested bait, lures and flies:

Pat’s rubber legs

Zebra midges

San Juan worms

Amber scuds

Egg patterns

Flash bang midge

Goldies

Wheatland Reservoir Number 3

HH

The buzz: The fishing is slow, but anglers report catching walleye, as well as trout. The reservoir has a high catch rate with walleye, especially as it warms up. Water levels are good with enough water to use the boat ramp.

Suggest bait, lures and flies:

Nightcrawlers

Powerbait

Rapalas

Hot head leeches

Egg patterns

Glendo

HH

The buzz: Anglers are starting to get out, but the action is slow across the reservoir. Ice is mostly gone, with anglers casting from the shore and a few getting out on boats.

Suggest bait, lures and flies:

Nightcrawlers with worm harnesses

Twistertails

Crankbaits

Snow Report

This weekend marks the final one for the only ski resort open in Wyoming: Grand Targhee. It’s also the final weekend for Steamboat, but the lifts continue to turn at a number of Colorado resorts for a while longer.

For those with an itch to still enjoy Nordic skiing, the season continues. Grooming on the Nordic ski trails at the Happy Jack Recreation Area continues as of mid-week, although the grooming is limited. As of Monday, Campground Loop through Meadow, Upper UW and Phil’s through Van’s Loop offer skiing on groomed trails. Conditions continue to change with the spring weather rollercoaster.

At Keystone, near Rob Roy Reservoir, there has been a total of 241 inches of snow so far this season, according to Don Day Jr. at dayweather.com. This is a seven-inch increase from last week and is above the 229 inches reported by this time last year. According to Open Snow, the snowpack in the Snowy Range is 100% of average for this time of year, a decrease of two percentage points from last week.

New snow is in the forecast this week through Friday “up top” in the Snowy Range. Due to colder temperatures, the snow might even be a little fluffy. Warmer temperatures arrive on Sunday, as spring conditions might return at least to start next week.

Conditions are fair to good on the Chimney Park trails, located nine miles west of Woods Landing off of Highway 230. Expect nice crust skiing off in the trees for the early birds, and then the trails get soft by mid-morning, making snowshoes a better option. Later in the day, expect rather sticky to slushy conditions.

Conditions are fair to good on the upper trails off Highway 130 out of Green Rock, but likely getting thin on those at lower elevations such as Barber Lake, Little Laramie and Corner Mountain. Expect spring conditions changing from day to day.

Personnel at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center report the avalanche danger for the southern Wyoming and northern Colorado mountains is rated “moderate” at all elevations. The threat of wet avalanches increases as the snow heats up, especially in steep and rocky terrain. Plan on starting out early and ending early to reduce the risk from these wet avalanches.

As of Tuesday morning, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service snow measuring stations reports 53 inches of snow at Cinnabar Park, a decrease of 10 inches from last week. The station at Brooklyn Lake reports 66 inches, a decrease of four inches from last week. The report at Sand Lake on the north end of the Medicine Bow Mountains reports 90 inches, a decrease of six inches from last week. The measuring station at Medicine Bow Peak, at an elevation of 10,500 feet, reports 101 inches, a decrease of 10 inches from last week. The Crow Creek station on Pole Mountain shows 10 inches, a decrease of seven inches from last week.

Quick Numbers

Wyoming downhill areas

Grand Targhee: 126-inch base; 6 lifts, 87 trails and 92% of terrain open.

All other ski areas in Wyoming are closed for the season.

Colorado downhill areas

Arapahoe Basin: 56-inch base; 9 lifts, 130 trails and 90% of terrain open.

Breckenridge: 57-inch base; 16 lifts, 101 trails and 56% of terrain open.

Copper Mountain: 56-inch base; 12 lifts, 119 trails and 76% of terrain open.

Eldora: 40-inch base; 3 lifts, 63 trails and 97% of terrain open.

Keystone: Closed for the season.

Loveland: 56-inch base; 7 lifts, 84 trails and 89% of terrain open.

Steamboat: 100-inch base; 12 lifts, 181 trails and 76% of terrain open.

Vail: 56-inch base; 13 lifts, 152 trails and 55% of terrain open.

Winter Park: 73-inch base; 16 lifts, 130 trails and 77% of terrain open.