Big Meadows Reservoir and Shaw Lake
Big Meadows reservoir is a popular fishery along the road to Shaw Reservoir. Big Meadows reservoir is on the South Fork of the Rio Grande River; and it is stocked with catchable rainbow trout along with a good natural population of brook trout. Shaw Reservoir is an older lake built for irrigation purposes. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has an agreement to maintain water levels. Shaw is stocked with cutthroat, cutbow, and rainbow trout. Shaw Reservoir has a natural source of fresh water shrimp that the fish eat allowing them to grow faster and have pink colored meat.
Big Meadows is located, 12 miles west of Rainbow Sporting Goods on US Highway 160, turn right on Forest Service road #410. One mile from the highway the road forks at Big Meadows Reservoir, the left fork going to the campground and the right fork to the boat ramp and also continues on three miles to Shaw Reservoir.
All types of fishing are allowed at both reservoirs. The passionate bait fisherman will have good look using Rainbow large or baby night crawlers. The new floating bait from Crave is proving to be very productive when fished off the bottom using a sinker and small treble hook like an Eagle Claw #376 size 14 or 16. Bait fishing will be most fruitful when the catching is slow.
The spin fisherman may want to use spoons and spinners like the MEPPS AGLIA lure. The gold lure with plain or colored blade is productive in clearer water sliver in murky water. Trying different retrieve methods such as slow and deeper, fast and near the surface or even counting down the lure after casting and before beginning the retrieve to fish the lure at different depths.
The fly fisherman can also have fun at these lakes. The Dead Chicken, a local pattern from Rainbow Sporting Goods, fished on a spinning or casting rod with RAINBOW PLASTIC ADJUST A BUBBLE water filled bubble allows fishing of those out of reach areas. Many other patterns of flies from the more than 2000 different sizes and types on had at RAINBOW can also be very productive. Please check with our experienced and knowledgeable staff for the up to the minute hot pattern.
Another little known lure is the HI-COUNTRY FLIES PISTOL PETE. This fly is tied like a wooly worm or wooly bugger only with a small propeller blade on the front of the fly. The Pistol Pete is fished with spinning rod and water filled bubble like other flies except using a slow continuous retrieve. Pistol Petes tied with a sparkle flash material or in a Dead Chicken pattern have been the most successful.
These lakes are very popular and productive ice fishing. Rainbows are taken regularly using jigs tipped with mealworms. A little known lure, the SWEDISH PIMPLE, also works very well through the ice.
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