Not into the Labor Day weekend crowds? Bill Moore Lake 8/28-8/31 Camp, Hike, Fish..

[DigJeepsBrah]

That's it. I was supposed to go to Lost Lake in Vail with a buddy today until Saturday but his plans went down the drain. Having not figured this out until early this afternoon I ended up doing some yard work and planning an alternate solo trip. Something close, something easy on the Jeep, high altitude, and fishing. Bill Moore Lake came to mind... With Byron Lake and Ethel lake just short hikes away from the base camp of Bill Moore I figured I'd be able to make the best of it anyway.

Figured if anyone doesn't do the big weekend stuff like I don't... Someone may want to join me. I took the time off work already, I'm going either way.

The fishing should be epic in Ethel and Byron. Even Bill Moore might be good with all the rain we've received..

Leaving; Tomorrow(Thursday) 8/29 from Littleton @ 12:00 PM

To be home by; Saturday 8/31 around sun down.

 

[Hypoid]

Not to pee in your Wheaties, but there are no fish in Bill Moore Lake. I don't know anything about those other lakes, but it has to be better than working.

 

[DigJeepsBrah]

Ethel is 65ish feet deep I guess, about a mile and a half hike up the mountain from BML.

Heard awesome fishing reports from that lake. I just thought with all the rain we have had the flow of Mill Creek may have been strong enough to land some hungry cutthroat's into BML. Wishful thinking, but that's why I'm taking a couple days. I know Ethel will put out though. Those fish will bite anything, power bait, worms, leeches, flies, bobbers, bottom bouncers, lures... Apparently they're hungry. I still want to know how a fish gets to 12,500 feet though. I saw a picture of ducks on the lake as well... Craziness.

 

[DigJeepsBrah]

Bill Moore Lake Trail is ****ed. The first couple miles were practically a river from flash flooding rains. It's ULTRA rocky everything is washed out. However; the fishing at Byron lake was as quintessential as it gets. Had a 13" cutthroat trout on the line on my second cast in about 3 minutes. We saw fish jumping in Ethel Lake, but no bites, so we went back down to Byron. Bill Moore Lake we didn't get any bites at either. Even with flies.

Expect a 1.5-2 hour hike (no trail, extremely technical and steep) to Ethel Lake. If you aren't interested in the view up there or seeing the lake itself Byron lake is about 500-600 vertical feet lower than Ethel, but will still require a rigorous 1.2 hour hike. The fishing is worth every second.

Anyway, spent a couple days up there last week, it was the shit. The trail is gnarly though.