Fishing at Blue Mesa Reservoir, Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Gunnison County, Colorado. It lies 7,510 feet above sea level. At 14.0 sq miles you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The outline measures near 58 miles, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. It is the biggest water on our Gunnison County list. The nearest town is Gunnison, 16 miles away. After that come Crested Butte at 30 miles and Paonia at 34 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Blue Mesa Reservoir

  341 ft is what our records show. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Survey and observation records for Gunnison County include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Blue Mesa Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 13°F to 62°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Blue Mesa Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records put this down as public water. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Rainbow Lake, 11 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Blue Mesa Reservoir are worth checking on the day.