Cottonwood Canyons

[FishinGal]

Just wondering if there is any decent fishing in any of the lakes in either Cottonwood Canyon. I know Silver Lake is really popular but what about Twin Lakes or Red Pine or Catherine or some of the others??
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[polokid]

There is some good fishing in Twin Lakes, but dont know much about the others, the last time i hiked up by there was 4 yrs ago and there wasnt much then!!! Twin is regularly stocked, same with silver Lake with little 8-12 inchers!!! But I have actually be thinking of hiking around up there to fish!!! I have heard that lake Blanche actually has some good brookie fishing it, but that is what I have heard!!!!
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[icefool]

Just wanted to welcome you aboard. I've been out of town and just saw your post.It is good to have more women on the site.Looking forward to more posts.
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[Matador]

FishinGal,

I have fished up in the local canyons quite a bit over the years. I've caught fish in most of the lakes in the canyons. Here is a brief run-down of my experiences:

Lake Catherine: Good bet for catching something. Incredible scenery. Fast fishing with flies in the evening. Good with worms too. Fish are on the smaller side(6-9 inches). Never caught anything but brookies. Access from Alta or Brighton. Sometimes winterkills but not usually. Moderate pressure. Worth the hike.

Lake Mary: Fishing is occassionally good, usually only so-so. Hard to fish. Water draws way down by dam every year. Lots of people. Never caught anything but brookies. Caught fish with worms and flies. Has minnows and little suckers in it.

Twin Lakes: Similar to Lake Mary but I have only caught cutts from there. One was 18 inches though. Did okay once with a gold Rapala but wished I had silver to match the minnows in the lake. Not as many people fishing.

Lake Blanche: Only experience was fast fishing for small brookies on worms very early in the year. I believe you could do well on flies in the mornings and evenings.

Lower Red Pine: Never caught a fish there nor in stream below. Not sure it gets planted. Saw no sign of fish what-so-ever on a couple of occassions. Water draws down pretty far each year. Very pretty scenery. Tough hike on a good trail.

Upper Red Pine: Bigger fish but hard to catch(12-18 inch cutts) They have been very picky when I've been there. Very deep lake. Tough hike. Almost not worth it if all you want to do is fish. Great scenery.

White Pine: Been there but I don't recall good fishing. Have heard otherwise this year. Hike is okay, maybe not worth it for poor fishing. Lots of people.

Big Cottonwood Creek: Good population of native browns but they are harder to catch than the planted rainbows. I don't believe they stock fish below Storm Mountain but there are browns below. Lots of people and fishing pressure. Stocked fairly often in the heavy use areas. Fun for a quick trip. Worth the effort if you know how to catch 'em.

Silver Lake: Fished there a lot. I don't like it much anymore. Easy access. Lots of moss(algae) late in the year, almost unbearable. Lots of shiners in the lake that continually take your fly, which is annoying when you want trout. Lots and lots and lots and lots of people, not for me. Planted rainbows with and occassional small brook. Good fishign when stocked heavy.

Hope this helps.

m
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[wetwaders]

I went to silver lake over the weekend and hiked to solitude lake. It was our first time there. It sure was a beautiful hike. The fishing at silver lake is not very good. The lake is full of moss and lots of people. I did not see anyone catch a fish. The lake is supposed to be stocked weekly with small rainbows weekly. I have heard that Twin Lakes is a beautiful hike and even if the fishing is slow, worth the trip.
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[FishinGal]

Thanks for the help everyone. I appreciate it a lot. I'm thinking of heading up there on Thursday or Friday so we'll see how I do.
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