GORP - Top 10 Trout Fisheries You Probably Never Heard Of

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		Trout Fisheries You Probably Never Heard Of
		By GORP Expert Angler Mark D. Williams

	White River, Arizona
	Lake Oahe, South Dakota
	Mountain Fork River, Oklahoma
	Yellowstone River, Wyoming
	Cimarron River, New Mexico
	Piedra River, Colorado
	Blue River, Colorado
	Upper Green River, Wyoming
	Rio Costilla, New Mexico
	Brazos River, Texas

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Any angler can name the classic trout waters.

Ask one to rattle off the top ten trout streams and the list will undoubtedly include the Madison, San Juan and all the other usual suspects always featured on magazine covers. And since every other angler includes these same streams on his or her list, where are those outstanding waters few others know about?

The following list of trout streams (and one lake) all have one thing in common: great fishing. Some are quiet, scenic and isolated, far from civilization. Some are less so, like one that calls for casting in the shadow of a strip mall. Another doesn't boast the world's biggest trout, but pack a six-weight rod along with your four-weight, and when you tire of hooking eight-inch rainbows, try your luck against the big stripers.

North Fork, White River, Arizona



Apache Country

I could have just as easily listed the East Fork of the Black, Chevelon Creek, Oak Creek, the Blue, or Bonito, Tonto or Cibecue Creeks, so underpressured and scenic is the angling in Arizona. But the North Fork is where I always catch a lot of Apache Trout. Most streams in Arizona are on the smallish side but the North Fork is a bit larger than most. The chief appeal of this eastern Arizona trout stream are the trout themselves. In addition to brown trout, you can catch the increasingly rare Apache trout, a lovely native gradually losing its range in Arizona's waters. The North Fork has about twenty-plus miles of public access, clear water punctuated by choppy riffles and shallow pools, flanked by thick stands of evergreen forest. Think dry flies. Think small rods. Bring a camera. As an adjunct trip, bring a float tube and fish the area's lakes (Hawley, Earl Park, Horseshoe Cienega) for planted big trout (mostly rainbow and Apache).

Lake Oahe, South Dakota

Chinook salmon in the fall? Big rainbow and brown trout in the spring? Come to Lake Oahe near Pierre in the northern section of the South Dakota, a massive impoundment of the Missouri River, and fish one of the most prolific game species fisheries in the nation. The lake, and its hundreds of miles of moonscape shoreline and otherworldly coves, also offers fantastic angling for walleye, catfish and pike. Both the tailrace and the sprawling lake are productive. Chinook in the 2-10 pound range are caught regularly, especially when they spawn in the shallow coves in the fall. The rainbows in the tailrace grow large on disabled smelt which pass through the dam turbines. Lake Oahe, with its 376,000 acres in both South Dakota and North Dakota, is developing into an angling hotspot. The brown trout are increasing in numbers, and with the profundity of food, they could grow to great sizes but still go largely unnoticed. Anglers are still discovering all the other secrets this large lake holds.

Mountain Fork River, Oklahoma



Choosing a fly

What a bizarre trout stream. Above Broken Bow Lake, it's the standard smallmouth fishery, clear cool water and lots rocks and boulders. But in the 12 miles of cold water below the dam, big brown trout and broad-shouldered rainbow trout swim amongst the cypress knees and great slabs of black rock. Only three hours east of Dallas, the Mountain Fork River is my home river. For years, the river was managed as a put-and-take fishery, one hundred thousand hatchery rainbows dumped unceremoniously into the river annually. But recently introduced brown trout have prospered in the year-round growing climate. Browns to nine pounds have been caught in the middle section of the river. I've seen one over ten pounds cruising the sloughs near Presbyterian Falls but I'm not telling where until I catch him. The river enjoys prolific hatches of caddis and mayfly all year long. Streamers fished deep imitate the juicy crawfish which scamper along the river bottom. The rocks are slippery, the water levels fluctuate due to releases from the lake and reaching the lower river at Presbyterian Falls can be a driving adventure. But that ten-pound brown is waiting in a slough for one of us. If you catch him first, take a picture and send it to me.

Black Canyon, Yellowstone River, Wyoming



Releasing a cutthroat

Few anglers I talk with even know about this section of the mighty Yellowstone. The spectacular Black Canyon lies in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park, and the trip is not for those who don't like to hike. The Yellowstone River is the park's lifeblood, a huge river cutting a tremendous canyon. The most famous (and fished) section is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, but the Black Canyon stretch — so called for the dark colors of the canyon walls — rarely sees anglers. The single finest day of trout fishing I have ever experienced occurred near Hellroaring Creek on the Black Canyon. Three buddies and I hiked a couple of hours on a moderate trail to reach the big pocket water and deep runs of the wide river and ran smack dab into the legendary salmonfly hatch. The largest cutthroat we landed was near 25-inches in length (and that doesn't include the one that got away) and most trout averaged 18 to 22 inches. This trip is a classic backcountry angling trip, whether a long day hike, a shuttle hike or an extended hike. The trails are excellent, the river fertile, and the solitude unparalleled. Bring big rods — this is a big ol' river and the fish are fierce fighters.

Cimarron River, New Mexico

This twelve-mile tailwater in the northeastern part of the state ranks among the finest brown trout streams in the West. The Cimarron doesn't act like a tailwater. Except for the slow spring-creek like upper mile as it flows out of Eagle Nest Lake, the stream bounces and tumbles through the scenic canyon, rushing past the overlooking Palisades, bunching up in flatter sections, providing pocket water, glides, bend pools, perky riffles and undercut banks — all attractive trout lies. What sets the Cimarron apart from most southern Rockies fisheries is the varied and abundant insect population. The stonefly hatches in May and June can cloud the sky. During the day, anglers can experience multiple hatches of caddis and mayfly, making the Cimarron a first-rate dry fly destination. Walking upstream under the canopy of overhanging brush, marveling at simultaneous hatches and casting to rising wild trout is the allure of this gem of a river. State Highway 64 runs beside the winding stream for most of its course, but anglers can find solitude by walking away from bridge crossings and parking areas to cast dry fly attractor patterns on soft water for plump browns all day long.

Piedra River, Colorado



A Piedra rainbow

East of Durango, the Piedra River provides over forty miles of canyon angling for wild browns and rainbows. The Spanish explorers named this freestone stream Rio Piedra, which means Stone River, and the landscape bears this out. The Piedra is for hikers and plunkers. The road doesn't stay close to this wild stream, so be prepared for long hikes or overnight stays in some of the densest forests in the Rockies. And the river is a series of pools and pocket water and riffles, making for ideal hiding places for fat, wild trout. To reach them, you'll need to get patterns under the water, especially with stonefly nymphs (but caddis hatch all summer long). This is a getaway spot, a river to hike along, camp along, enjoy the wildness of it all and fish to a lot of heavy-bodied wild trout. The river can be fished year-round but does muddy up after heavy rains. When it rains, enjoy dropping a line on its clearer tributaries.

Blue River, Colorado



The bountiful Blue

Not much of this trout stream provides a wilderness experience unless fishing in plain sight of discount shopping centers and the cars zooming along the interstate is your idea of wild country. But as the photo shows, the reason to visit the Blue is the big fish. Located in central Colorado near the ski town of Breckenridge, this year-round, north-flowing tailwater produces behemoth trout courtesy of its population of mysis shrimp. Midge fishing in winter is popular, if not difficult, just below Dillon Reservoir. The ten-mile stretch between Dillon and Green Mountain Reservoirs offers plenty of public access. The Blue has quietly become one of the most productive year-round streams in the west, with browns and rainbows growing to incredible sizes. You won't be angling by yourself, the wind can kick up at times and the multiple hatches can be tough to figure out. But did I mention that the fish are really, really big?

Upper Green River, Wyoming



Landing a cuttbow

While the tailwater of this river (below Flaming Gorge Reservoir) gets all the national attention, the upper Green quietly meanders through private ranches, its trout population growing stronger each year. Above and below Fontenelle Reservoir, the Green River holds fat rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout. The best way to fish this scenic river is by hiring a guide and floating the Green. Trout will average 12-16 inches but in the lower elevations, you can be surprised by a lunker every now and again. The Green's headwaters begin in the Wind River Mountains to the north and along its southern course to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, highways run alongside the 100-plus miles. Many private ranches are open to courteous inquiries about fishing on their land. Public accesses can be crowded at the height of tourist season but most of the time you'll have entire stretches to yourself. Most folks you'll meet on the river will be locals or townies from Jackson Hole. But you'll need to get on this as of yet undiscovered stretch before everyone else hears about it. Shhhh!

Rio Costilla, New Mexico

Anglers looking for incredible panoramic vistas of ancient volcanoes, pristine meadow streams and wild trout should look no further. While everyone else is standing shoulder to shoulder on the San Juan, Big Hole or Green Rivers, you could be controlling a couple of miles of this stream, fishing for native Rio Grande cutthroats. And you can even take a leisurely lunch and not feel as though you'll lose your stretch. The isolated Rio Costilla runs for miles through a wide valley, curving back and forth through the caldera. The waters are clear and shallow, alternating between long flat stretches where the cutts hide under deep cut banks, and foamy deep, bend pools where the big trout lie in wait. The roads in are long and rough, preventing most anglers from making the trip. With its low-slung green mountains and wide-open valleys, this picture postcard will remind you of Yellowstone Country. But the Rio Costilla is a special stream that simply cannot take the pounding of other streams — the trout and riparian habitat are too fragile. The river opens in early July to protect the spawning cutthroat and stays open until mid-December.

Brazos River, Texas



Big fish here

The Brazos River below Possum Kingdom Lake is a lousy trout fishery. But the stripers and carp in this medium-sized tailwater two hours west of Fort Worth grow big and fight hard. On trout stocking days, anglers line up to pitch salmon eggs and corn at the new inhabitants, and when you see them, head for the dam to cast to the splashes of feeding stripers or walk downstream to fish the slow side channels for carp and striper. Many recreationalists canoe the Brazos, fishing for perch and river bass, especially in the spring and summer. White bluffs overlook this pretty tailrace. The Brazos is an ideal winter fishery, the Texas weather rarely turning cold. During weekdays, few fishers venture onto the clear waters. Oh sure, if you want to fish for the eight-inch trout, that's your choice. But the stripers will probably get to them first, and it's those big boys I'll be chasing.

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