Big Johnson Reservoir Fishing in El Paso County, Colorado

• Overview

  Within El Paso County, Colorado, you have Big Johnson Reservoir. This is farm and woodlot country. Surface area runs to roughly 274 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. There is roughly 2.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Few waters listed in El Paso County are bigger. Security-Widefield sits 1.1 miles from the bank. For a city, Colorado Springs is 8.7 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Big Johnson Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across El Paso County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, common carp, brook trout and green sunfish. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Big Johnson Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 72°F and January near 30°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Plan any trip to Big Johnson Reservoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. A McCray Reservoir sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Big Johnson Reservoir in what we hold.