Private Water Fly Fishing Trips in Grand Lake, Colorado

Blue Ribbon Private Water Fly Fishing at Winding River Ranch or Troublesome Ranch

Private water fly fishing is the ultimate way to experience Colorado's legendary trout waters — rested fish, true solitude, and access that simply isn't available to the general public. Kirks Flyshop Grand Lake has secured exclusive rod access to two exceptional stretches of private water, giving our guests the opportunity to fish some of the most productive and scenic water in Grand County. Under Colorado stream access laws, fishing private property without landowner permission is strictly prohibited — but through our established partnerships, we're able to offer anglers an elevated experience on waters most people will never set foot on. Whether you're chasing wild fish on a scenic small-stream Colorado River stretch just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, or targeting trophy trout on Troublesome Creek and a private pond near Kremmling, these properties offer something you won't find on the public water.

Winding River Ranch

A man and child pose with the fish they caught while fishing

Winding River Ranch offers a mile of private access to the Colorado River just outside the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park — making it one of the most scenic and accessible private water experiences in Grand County. This is classic small-stream fly fishing at its finest: intimate water, technical presentations, and a healthy population of Rainbows, Browns, and Brook Trout averaging 12 to 14 inches, with fish up to 18 inches in the mix. With no crowds and no fishing pressure, Winding River Ranch is an ideal option for anglers of all skill levels looking to connect with wild Colorado trout in a truly peaceful setting. Whether you're a seasoned angler or just getting started, our expert guides will put you on fish from the moment you step in the water.

1 mile of private Colorado River access just outside Rocky Mountain National Park
Rainbows, Browns, and Brook Trout
Fish averaging 12–14 inches, with fish up to 18 inches

Rod Fee: $35 per person

Troublesome Ranch

Troublesome Ranch is our most diverse and trophy-focused private water experience — a multi-water property that gives anglers access to three distinct fisheries in a single day. Located near Kremmling, the ranch features a quarter mile of private Colorado River frontage just upstream of town, a quarter mile of intimate Troublesome Creek access, and a three-acre pond stocked with trophy Rainbows, Browns, and Tiger Trout. Fish here average 12 to 16 inches with specimens up to 22 inches regularly coming to the net. The variety of water types — moving river, small stream, and stillwater — makes Troublesome Ranch a unique opportunity to test your skills across multiple presentations and techniques in one outing. If you're after a shot at the biggest trout of your life, this is the property for it.

¼ mile of private Colorado River access upstream of Kremmling
¼ mile of private Troublesome Creek access
3-acre trophy pond with Rainbows, Browns, and Tiger Trout
Fish averaging 12–16 inches, with fish up to 22 inches

Rod Fee: $85 per person

A person hold a large trout they caught while fishing

Ready to Book Your Guided Fly Fishing Trip?

Book online or give us a call at 970-627-5021!

Frequently Asked Questions

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What gear is provided, and can I bring my own?

Hear From Past Anglers at Kirks Flyshop:

				We had a great family fishing & catching experience today with guides Molly, Matt, and Luke; wade fishing a beautiful stream in Rocky Mountain National Park for a half day. They provided excellent personal attention, kind effective instruction, and helpful encouragement. Our party of seven included five who were first time fly fishing and three were age 9 to 13. Each new fisherman caught several fish! It was a challenging day because the fish were not biting much, they were very picky.  The guides were persistent and tenacious in helping each angler succeed. They also demonstrated superb patience when enthusiasm was not matched by our skill.  Good equipment and great guides made the day.							
Guy Dayvault
7/19/2024
				Had a great day fishing with guide Ben at Kirks Fly Shop. Ben put me on the fish and gave great advice on the best approach. Ben switched up patterns to turn the fishing on as needed.  Thank you to Ben and Kirks Fly Shop for my first guided trip and I look forward to a future trip as well!							
Heath Skelton
7/19/2024
				Had an amazing time with Kirk’s. Ben was an amazing guide and we caught tons of fish. Definitely the highlight of my trip.!							
Gabe Edstrand
7/15/2024
				Super friendly staff. Angela Stephens is a fantastic guide and gave my sister in law and I an unforgettable fishing trip.  Go visit Kirk’s and request Angela when you book a trip.							
Tracy S
7/15/2024
				Went to Kirks on short notice to rent fly rods and waders, also purchased out of state fishing license. Will definitely recommend Kirks for equipment rental and availability of all you need to fish. Next time i will schedule a guided trip.							
Anthony Kimbril
7/08/2024
				Love this shop. We fish the area every year and always stop in.  Staff is always friendly and willing to offer tips on the current bite. Well stocked shop with everything you could need.							
Joseph Ohler
7/01/2024
				Full day of fly fishing with Matt. 1/2 day in RMNP, then weather forced us to pivot to the second 1/2 on Grand Lake. ~30 fish, 5 species including a Kokanee.							
Adam Gentzler
7/01/2024
				My buddy and I went out on a fly fishing trip with Brady and had an awesome time. We knew almost nothing about fly fishing before the trip but Brady made it very approachable for us. Brady was an awesome guide and I would highly recommend going on a trip with him. Brady and the staff at Kirk’s were also nice enough to help me decide what I need to buy to get my own setup going and helped me get my own fly rod setup and ready to go. Great experience!							
Kevin Anselman
6/22/2024
				I highly recommend using Kirk’s fly fishing if you are in the Estes Park or Grand Lake area!!! Our guide, Ben was OUTSTANDING.   He is patient and very knowledgeable when it comes to not only fishing but how to handle a boat, rivers, and rapids.  I have never fly fished before and Ben had a way of teaching that made it fun and not so intimidating.  He was so professional but kept it laid back at the same time, resulting in a fantastic experience. We did a float down the Colorado River.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  I know there are many other options and packages with this outfitter, but the float fishing did not disappoint!! It is apparent that Ben has a passion for what he does.  It bled through into our experience and made our day!  It’s always fun to do these trips but even better when you are in good company! Thank you Ben and Kirk’s for making a memory for me and my husband Tony that will never be forgotten!							
Jessica Estes
6/22/2024
				i’m new to fishing and still don’t really know what I’m doing. Nonetheless, Angela could not have been more kind to me, answering all my questions with enthusiasm and providing top notch customer service. The store has an extensive selection as well. Will def be making this my go-to fishing store!!!							
Jared Fishbaum
6/22/2024
				I went here, because the National Park Service doesn't allow the use of bait in fishing. So, being almost clueless on what I would need I stopped here. The saleswoman was able to answer all my questions, provided great feedback, and got me what I needed. She took time to explain stuff and got me squared away.							
Ryan Barnes
6/22/2024
				I went to Grand Lake Kirk’s Flyshop rather than the Kirk’s Estes Flyshop where I originally signed up for , by mistake, however i was still accommodated for on the same hour and day at Grand Lake.  And this moment of serendipity brought a beautiful, heart filled day of fly fishing with Ben Stevens as my fishing guide.  I must have caught about 8 trouts!   I’m a total beginner and earnest learner.  Ben was positive and generous with sharing his knowledge of fly fishing: where fish like to be, what they feed on, different fly ties , elements of the rod and line.  I was so excited that he gave me  an introduction on double haul cast! I will definitely practice this cast at the Long Beach Casting Club pond back home.  But as the saying goes: “Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” (Thoreau ).  Grand Lake did not disappoint . My day with Ben was about experiencing the beauty of this new lake through his eyes, a shared passion for fishing, feeling the  crisp air of the rocky mountains, and stepping out of my comfort zone to experience something new.							
Grace
5/22/2024
				My husband rented some fly fishing gear, the man that helped him was very patient, kind and knowledgeable. However, his waders had a hole in them and filled with water, they gave us a refund for the rental, but I would just make sure next time that we check for holes before renting.  Also, I think next time I will book him a guided fishing trip, the only reason we didn’t this time is because we wanted to take our 2 year old fishing with us.							
Lauren V.
10/22/2023
				The office staff was amazingly cordial and helpful. Our guide Brian was extremely knowledgeable about where to fish and what lures and colors to use. I definitely highly recommend Kirk’s fly fishing. Thanks for a great time.							
Gary Meeker
9/22/2023
				Rented two fishing rods while visiting the area. The young lady that assisted us pick the flies and rods was very knowledgeable and helpful. The rental price was very reasonable too. We got to fish around the Colorado river at RMNP and had a blast!							
Del Thomas
9/22/2023
				We booked a half day guided river/stream fly fishing trip and WOW what an experience! Our group of eight caught over 90 fish, thanks to the expertise and awesomeness of our guides Angela, Ben and Tim!!!! We can't say enough about their patience, knowledge and expertise!! Thank you for a great outing!!!! Without hesitation when we return to Grand Lake, Kirks will definitely be on the list again!							
Mike Gallenberger
8/22/2023
				Jarvis and Ben took us on a fishing adventure on the Colorado river near Hot Sulfur Springs. Their knowledge, patience and excitement made it an amazing experience. We were able to work the river and creek with ease, and learned new techniques to take with us for future use. They both were laid back yet eager to answer our questions. We all caught fish and had a life changing experience. We went back the following days and kirks fly shop hooked us up with flies to catch brook trout. Great place.							
Phil Gilcrease
8/22/2023
				Just did a 4 hour lake trip with guide Ben Granger. I caughtt in five Lake Trout. One was 23" long! What areas trip and knowledge that I received from the guide alone was worth it.							
Rob Shank
8/22/2023
				We were visiting Colorado from Georgia this week for a my son’s graduation trip. We booked a guide trip with Kirks Fly Shop in Grand Lake. From the time we walked in the doors, everyone was so pleasant and helpful. Everything went smoothly from beginning to end. The process of getting our Colorado fishing license took just a few minutes. Ben S. was our guide and  we could have not asked for a better one! He paid close attention to detail while instructing us  but still made it fun and light. He was very knowledgeable and spent extra time with our son (who is an avid fisherman at home) to make sure he caught the most and biggest fish possible. We will definitely be booking again when we are back in Colorado!							
Christie Sumner
8/22/2023
				We would highly recommend using Kirk's Flyshop.  Ryan our fishing guide was amazing. He was knowledgeable and very informative about the area and the lakes. He made sure that we had everything that we needed for a successful fishing trip.							
Ashley Mitchell
7/22/2023
				Six stars. Ben guided me on a wonderful afternoon of fishing. I have physical limitations, but I wanted to fish the Colorado River in Kawuneeche Valley one more time for sentimental reasons. Ben was patient with me – and even promised to carry me out if I couldn’t make it. (Dream on, Ben – you aren’t THAT strong!) He gave me some good tips on bad habits I had developed over the years, but wasn’t critical when I went right back to my old way. He was tremendously supportive and positive. We caught a bright, iridescent brook trout – a difficult guarantee to fulfill on a small piece of low water, especially with my casting style. Thanks again, Ben! Mission accomplished!							
Jackie Powell
7/22/2023
				"FishyPhil" Chamberlain guided my wife and I from Kirk's on a full day float trip. Neither one of us had ever flyfished in our lives. Phil made sure we were clothed with the gear to keep us comfortable. Kirk's  supplies waders, boots and such if needed.This was huge as I wanted my wife to be warm if it continued to rain on our all day trip. Once on the river,  the rain stopped we got into Phil's very comfortable and maneuverable float boat. Phil was a very patient teacher (even when we snagged/tangled lines, and lost fish-bite opportunities  he had worked hard rowing the boat to put us on these fish)! We caught 8 nice trout and had a wonderful time. It was so much fun to hang out with FishyPhil and be in the presence of someone so humble to be making a living doing what he does best, guiding people on incredible fishing trips. If you're new  or an experienced angler, Kirk's and FishyPhil are highly recommended for your flyfishing guide and shop needs.							
Ronald Scott Parmiter
7/22/2023
				Great guided experience today! Took a group of 9 first time Fly fisherman. 97 fish today. Definitely created some new passions for fly fishing							
Cory Miller
7/22/2023
				We went on a four hour guided fishing trip with Brian and our family had a blast. Brian was so kind and great with the kids. It was our first time fishing and we had so much fun. The shop was so accommodating and patient with us. Special thanks to Angela for all her help. We will certainly be back!							
Austin Jones
7/22/2023

Diagram shows features of a fly fishing trip with Kirks Flyshop Grand Lake

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Two men holds a Cutthroat Trout caught in Rocky Mountain National Park

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