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The Gunnison - from Almont to Blue Mesa
by Karen Christopherson
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Here to read
more "Fish
Tails" |
The Gunnison River gets its
start in Almont at the confluence of two other decent flyfishing rivers,
the East and the Taylor. The two merging rivers are already
fair-sized and once joined, create a Gunnison that starts with
flows in the 1000+ cfs category. Hence, one desirable way to
fish this river is from a driftboat or raft.
However, this upper section of the Gunnison is
manageable, and different in style from the downstream segment
below Blue Mesa Reservoir. Once the river leaves Blue Mesa, it
travels through a series of canyon including some of the deepest
in North America. Worthy in its own right, the lower section of
the Gunnison demands much more time and effort than the upstream
portion. If you only have a couple of hours to fish, you readily
can get onto the Gunnison at the upstream portion.
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Some rocky bars make good fishing spots
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Public Access Points?
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Almont: Public access from
the confluence of the East of Taylor Rivers (the start of
the Gunnison) downstream for over 1.5 miles including the
Almont Campground |
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Gunnison River SWA (Van Tuyl):
Go north on Hwy 135 from Gunnison. Turn west on CR 13 and
travel about 1/4 mile. Merge left onto Tincup Drive. Follow
west for a few blocks to Palisade Park and a parking area.
Take trail to river. Over one mile of river is accessible
and well-marked |
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Gunnison River SWA (Redden):
Go north on Hwy 135 from Gunnison to the North Bridge (where
the road crosses the river). Park on the south side. Approx.
1/4 mile of access |
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Twin Bridge: Southwest side
of Gunnison, where Hwy 50 crosses the river. Access is on
north side of river |
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Curecanti Nat'l Rec Area:
Various parking areas from Neversink picnic area to Blue
Mesa Reservoir, offering over 3 miles of river |
Rules:
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From the confluence of the
East and Taylor, downstream to the Hwy 50 bridge: artificial
flies and lures only; bag and possession for brown trout is
two (2), minimum of 16" long; catch and release on rainbows |
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From East and Taylor rivers
downstream to standing water line of Blue Mesa Res.,
including tributary canals and diversions: a) Taking kokanee
prohibited Aug. 1-Oct. 31. b) Snagging kokanee permitted
Nov. 1-Dec. 31. |
Where to stay?
Numerous cabins and motels in
the area, plus campgrounds
Resources:
 Click
here to buy a guidemap for the
Gunnison
River including the Lake Fork
 Click
here to buy a NEW Ebook about Trout fishing on
Colorado State lands - includes a lot of info about the Gunnison
River area
Click
here to buy an Angling Guide for the
Gunnison/Crested Butte Area by Michael Shook
Info on the State Wildlife Area from the Division
of Wildlife can be found by
clicking here
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