Fishing at Camp Shoshoni Reservoir, Gilpin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Camp Shoshoni Reservoir is one of the Gilpin County listings for Colorado. The water sits 8,576 feet up. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Gilpin County standards. Start from Nederland, 2.6 miles down the road. Coal Creek follows at 6.6 miles, then Idaho Springs at 13 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Camp Shoshoni Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Gilpin County include brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Camp Shoshoni Reservoir the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 60°F and January reads 25°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Camp Shoshoni Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Manchester Lake, 0.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Camp Shoshoni Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.