Brands Reservoir Fishing Guide, Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  Brands Reservoir is a Jackson County water, Colorado side. The surface lies 8,176 feet up. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. Most waters listed here for Jackson County are larger. The nearest place of any size is Steamboat Springs, 27 miles away. Hayden is 45 miles and Kremmling 50 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Brands Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Jackson County, recorded fish include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and Arctic grayling. The county list is broader than any single water. On Brands Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 59°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Brands Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Lake John is 0.9 miles distant. Check the position at Brands Reservoir before loading the car.