Big Meadows Reservoir in Mineral County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mineral County, Colorado, is where Big Meadows Reservoir sits. The setting is mixed forest on every side. Roughly 112 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 2.0 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. On our Mineral County list it sits near the top for size. Pagosa Springs lies 22 miles from the water. Del Norte is 27 miles and Monte Vista 36 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Big Meadows Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. 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 Mineral County names brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Big Meadows Reservoir the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 53°F and January at 16°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Big Meadows Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Mapping shows a picnic spot within half a mile. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Shaw Lake, 1.9 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Big Meadows Reservoir for certain.