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Blue River (North-Central Colorado)

Location: The mountains of north-central Colorado, in Summit and Grand Counties. It’s 75 minutes west of Denver on I-70 to Silverthorne, then south on Colorado Highway 9. Nearest airport is Denver International, about 90 minutes.

This river enjoys two distinct tailwater sections. From below Lake Dillon in Silverthorne to the Green Mountain Reservoir, the river rolls north, starting at about 9,000 feet. The Blue winds its way for about 15 miles before emptying into the lake. The section below Green Mountain Reservoir joins the Colorado River 15 miles downriver, near the town of Kremmling. Both sections hold very large fish, for two distinctly different reasons: On the upriver section, through a 2-mile stretch in the town of Silverthorne, the food source

Blue River near Silverthorne. Charlie Lockwood

from Lake Dillon is the answer. Mysis shrimp are continually swept through the dam’s outlet, providing a steady high-protein diet for the trout below. (This phenomenon also prevails on the Fryingpan and Taylor Rivers.) Rainbows grow to well over 10 pounds here. On the section below Green Mountain, the story is stocking. The largest landowner has stocked a long segment for a number of years. As you may expect, this has created mixed feelings. Fish to 15 pounds are not uncommon! The river is open year-round to the public for a few miles below both dams. Lower sections begin to freeze over by December. Water temperatures from both dams average in the mid-40s, and warm downstream.

The Blue River flows through a variety of landscapes, all beautiful. As you travel north down the Blue River Valley,