Salomone: Sylvan Lake State Park for fly fishing

The town of Eagle is just a short drive down Interstate 70 from Vail. Exit 147 is also the gateway to Sylvan Lake State Park. The scenic area achieved state park designation in 1987 and has been an anchor in the surrounding area to draw in visitors. The lake has always been a local angling destination.

The entrance is located about 12 miles south of Eagle. Numerous signs are displayed throughout town to direct visitors along the correct travel route. The visitor’s center at the entrance is situated at 7,500 feet in elevation and provides educational displays and wildlife viewing.

The 47-acre lake sits at an elevation of 8,500 feet and is the main attraction in the park. But the park offers more than just angling. Nine cabins, two of which are pet friendly, along with 44 campsites capable of accomodating RVs, camp trailers or tents are available. Picnic goers have 30 sites to choose from. There are yurts for rental located in other remote areas of the park. This article will concentrate on the amenities found around the lake. Rental water crafts, paddleboards, kayaks and canoes are available on a first-come basis. A 1.5-mile lake loop trail encircles the lake, giving hikers and anglers access to more areas, hidden coves and lakeside picnic tables.

Pets are allowed while on leash. A daily $10 entry fee is required. Colorado residents have an option to add an annual Colorado state parks pass to their automobile registration renewal for a modest fee.

The boat ramp is located prominently on the north side of the lake near parking, facilities and angler-specific camping sites. Life jackets are a necessity when recreating on Sylvan Lake. Loaner life jackets are available through an honor program.

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Two little docks help manage small watercraft and anglers with disabilities. The small dock closest to the dam is wheelchair accessible and has a deep depression that attracts fish within easy casting distance of the dock. Fly fishing from the shore around the lake or along the rocky dam is also productive.

For the anglers looking to explore Sylvan Lake State Park with a rod, Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists three species of trout in the lake. Rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout are all found in the cold, deep water. Regular stocking keeps the fish population at Sylvan Lake extremely high. Fly fishers have a wide variety of options for tempting the trout found in the lake. Nymphing, dry flies and streamer fishing are all productive techniques to achieve success.

A word of advice: observe the pitch of the banks surrounding the lake. The steep, east side continues down below the waterline with the same steep degree of drop off. Anglers can access extremely deep water within easy casting distance of the shoreline. The dam has a rocky construction that extends underwater to the bottom of the lake.

The northern edge of the lake holds the inlet where a small feeder creek flows into the lake. This is the area to concentrate on brook and cutthroat trout. The deeper water in the middle of the lake and the area surrounding the boat ramp — where frequent stockings occur — holds rainbow trout more prominently.

Fly fishers struggling to achieve success will benefit from booking a day with a Vail Valley Anglers guide. Anglers can choose to fish from the bank or to row out into the lake and fish the deeper water from the convenience of a raft or drift boat. Deciphering still waters is a worthwhile achievement and breeds confidence. Learning about the common insects that are suspended in the water at Sylvan Lake during the summertime gives fly fishers the knowledge to approach other still waters with confidence.

The fly fisher that wants to try their own luck succeeds when the correct flies are presented with the appropriate technique. Weed growth contains scuds and damsel nymphs. Deep water calls for chironomid nymphs and midge larva. Streamers on intermediate or full sinking lines also work well in the depth. Top water demands callebaetis, caddis and midge dry flies. Shallow water around the edges is best fished with emergers.

Easy to access and full of amenities, Sylvan Lake State Park is a Rocky Mountain paradise for still water fly fishers.

Michael Salomone has lived in the Eagle River Valley since 1992. He started his professional guiding career in 2002 and currently guides for Vail Valley Anglers. He lives on the bank of the Eagle River with his wife, Lori, his youngest daughter, Ella, and a yellow Labrador named Poppy. His published writing has appeared in Southwest Fly Fishing, Fly Rod & Reel, Eastern Fly Fishing, On the Fly, FlyLords, the Pointing Dog Journal, Upland Almanac, TROUT, American Fly Fishing, USA Today Hunt & Fish and Fly Fisherman magazines.