Signs of Spring

Signs of spring are evident here in the Laramie Valley. We still have plenty of snow in the mountains surrounding us but sun and warmer temperatures have brought back the familiar sounds of birds and dripping, melting snow from rooftops. Snow levels above 8,000 feet are still strong and will feed our rivers with cold mountain water well into the summer.

The ice is beginning to break up on the lower sections of the rivers and thinning on the lakes everyday. The Big Laramie River section in town is running free of substantial ice but storm water from Laramie has reduced visibility to about a foot. Now is the time to start fishing the deeper holes and cut banks for hungry rainbow and brown trout - hopefully the water clarity improves a little before the big runoff hits.

The Little Laramie River near Centennial is starting to show some open runs free of ice on private sections viewable from the road, but at the public access the ice is still thick and covers the entire river. A few more weeks of sunshine and warmer temperatures will no doubt break the ice free and casts can be made.

I am most excited to get out to one of my favorite Laramie Plains Lakes. Gelatt is the smallest of the Laramie Plains Lakes and is quite shallow, however the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has installed an aerator to reduce winter kills and it has been successful for 3 years now. Hold over trout are getting bigger and fatter.

There will be more spring snow storms moving through the valley over the next couple weeks, alternating with warm sunny days. Stay tuned for more updates this spring!