Fishing Beef Trail Reservoir in Dolores County, Colorado

• Overview

  Beef Trail Reservoir is one of the Dolores County listings for Colorado. The surface lies 8,281 feet up. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Nearest town is Cortez, 30 miles off. Further out sit Mancos (35 miles) and Monticello (40 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Beef Trail Reservoir

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Dolores County, recorded fish include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Beef Trail Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 64°F for July and 23°F for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Beef Trail Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Glade Lake sits 2.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Beef Trail Reservoir are worth checking on the day.