Allen Basin Reservoir in Routt County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Allen Basin Reservoir lies in Routt County, in Colorado. The setting is lake country bush on every side. With some 83 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.5 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Few waters listed in Routt County are bigger. Start from Steamboat Springs, 25 miles down the road. Boulder sits 94 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Allen Basin Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Public occurrence data for Routt County names brook trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Take Allen Basin Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 54°F in July and bottoms out near 19°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. In an average year the thaw lands around mid May and the freeze near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Allen Basin Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Crosho Lake is 1.1 miles off. Signs at Allen Basin Reservoir carry more weight than any list.