Big Tooth Reservoir Fishing Guide, El Paso County, Colorado

• Overview

  Big Tooth Reservoir belongs to El Paso County, Colorado. The bank is 9,364 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. The nearest town is Manitou Springs, 3.6 miles away. Beyond it, Colorado Springs at 8.1 miles and Cascade-Chipita Park at 8.1 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Big Tooth Reservoir

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged across El Paso County include rainbow trout, common carp, brook trout and green sunfish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Big Tooth Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 20°F in January up to 54°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Big Tooth Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Lake Moraine is 1.7 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Big Tooth Reservoir for certain.