Early August 2018
Photography by Jody Bol
CAVEAT: The North Fork Road has reopened but is still rough. Call ArkAnglers in Salida, CO for latest information.
For more about fishing North Fork Valley lakes see my articles:
https://hooknfly.com/2016/07/16/north-fork-sampler-arthur-lake-near-salida-colordo/amp/
https://hooknfly.com/2015/08/17/hunky-dory-lake-near-salida-co/
https://hooknfly.com/2016/08/17/north-fork-sampler-island-lake-high-above-salida-colorado/amp/
With the surfeit of beautiful and productive lakes in the North Fork Valley, the valley’s namesake river often gets overlooked. I’m as guilty as anyone—I fished it once some 20 years ago when my boys were youngsters, and we caught some nice rainbows. But since then I have scurried by it numerous times headed to the lakes instead. In all of those trips, I don’t recall ever seeing anyone fish the North Fork River. But when I trekked across the North Fork Reservoir Dam a few days ago and ogled the good-looking water below the spillway, I vowed to change all that.