Carlin Reservoir Fishing in Weld County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Carlin Reservoir, in Weld County. It sits in farm and woodlot country. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It lies lower than most water we list in Colorado. For a base, Aristocrat Ranchettes sits 3 miles out. For a city, Greeley is 21 miles off. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Carlin Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. County-wide records name white sucker, common carp, green sunfish, longnose sucker and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Carlin Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 73°F and January near 27°F on the long-run figures. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Expect Carlin Reservoir to follow that timing. Sudden cold puts fish down faster than sustained cold does.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Twombly Reservoir is 4.1 miles distant. The position on Carlin Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.