Bowles Reservoir Number One in Jefferson County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bowles Reservoir Number One falls in Jefferson County, part of Colorado. The surroundings are rolling hill. The water covers some 135 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 2.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is among the larger waters listed here for Jefferson County. Columbine sits 2.4 miles from the bank. Then Columbine Valley, 2.8 miles, and Sheridan, 3.2 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Bowles Reservoir Number One

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Survey and observation records for Jefferson County include rainbow trout, brown trout, common carp and green sunfish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Bowles Reservoir Number One decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 31°F in January to roughly 73°F in July. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Bowles Reservoir Number One.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Public data records a pier about half a mile out. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Grant C Reservoir, 0.4 miles out. Ask locally about Bowles Reservoir Number One if anything is unclear.