Bartel Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Larimer County end of Colorado holds Bartel Reservoir. The setting is mixed woodland. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Colorado listings. Wellington sits 4 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Fort Collins is 5.5 miles away, with Laporte at 6.5 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bartel Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Larimer County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Bartel Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 28°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Bartel Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years. A settled week fishes better than a changeable one.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The nearest car park we can see is 0.9 miles out, so expect a walk with your gear. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Elder Reservoir, 1.2 miles away. Check the position at Bartel Reservoir before loading the car.