Taylor River Flow Bodes Well for Rafting, Kayaking & Fishing the Gunnison River

On May 30, the proposed operation chart for the Taylor Reservoir was updated and released. Water releases out of Taylor Reservoir will be the best since the drought of 2002. At this time, it appears that the reservoir will be near 100 percent capacity in early June.

Starting June, the first the releases will be close to 300cfs (cubic feet per second). From there, the releases climb to a peak of 400cfs on July 1 and hold steady through Aug 15. Cfs will slowly decrease after that; however, there will be plenty of water to raft and fish well into the fall.

“Based on this information, the flows through the Taylor Canyon are anticipated to be the best we have seen in years. The release schedule is a well-crafted mix of flows that take into consideration the needs and desires of the agricultural and recreational interests of Gunnison County,” says Mark Schumacher, owner of Three Rivers Resort, a rafting and fishing outfitter in Almont. “This planned distribution of our local water resources should ensure a very productive and enjoyable season for both summer and fall.”

Good flows will support rafting and kayaking through the end of September, and anglers are already booking fishing trips for fall and making plans to schedule float trips on the Gunnison River through the end of September, Schumacher notes. The Taylor River meets up with the East River in Almont, located between Gunnison and Crested Butte, to form the Gunnison River, the second largest tributary to the Colorado River.

For rafting, kayaking and fishing adventures, contact the following quality outfitters.

# Three Rivers Resort & Outfitting and Willow Fly Anglers, (888) 761-3474 or www.3riversresort.com
# Scenic River Tours, (970) 641-3131 or www.scenicrivertours.com
# Almont Anglers, (970) 641-7404 or www.almontanglers.com
# Tenderfoot Outfitters (800) 641-0504 or www.tenderfoot-outfitters.com
# Troutfitter (866-349-1323) or www.troutfitter.com
# Dragonfly Anglers (800-491-3079) or www.dragonflyanglers.com

State Record Mackinaw Trout Pulled from Blue Mesa Reservoir
It was Don Walker’s very lucky day on May 23. As reported by the Gunnison Country Times, the lake trout (mackinaw) he pulled from Blue Mesa Reservoir near Gunnison tipped the state record mark at 50.35 pounds, measuring 44 ¼ inches in length and 34 3/8 in girth. The previous record, set in 2002 by his brother-in-law Larry Cornell, was beat by about 3.5 pounds. Cornell was along to see the lunker pulled from Colorado’s largest body of water, a place Walker has fished since it opened more than 40 years ago.

Walker and his wife, Paula, spend most of their summer living in a motor home overlooking the reservoir and live the rest of the year in Florence, Colo.