Baxter Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Baxter Reservoir is set in Delta County, Colorado. It sits in open valley. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Paonia, 8.2 miles off. After that come Cedaredge at 17 miles and Orchard City at 17 miles. In the same area: Todd Reservoir just 5.3 miles, Roeber Reservoir 6.9 miles, Crawford Reservoir just 7 miles, Lone Cabin Reservoir 9.9 miles and Hunt Reservoir just 10 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Baxter Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name rainbow trout, white sucker, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Baxter Reservoir gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 26°F to 74°F. The swings are modest, so patterns change slowly. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Baxter Reservoir rarely departs from it. A rising level after rain switches things on for a day or two.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Todd Reservoir, 5.3 miles away. Treat access at Baxter Reservoir as something to verify.