Fishing at Chapman Reservoir, Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Look for Chapman Reservoir in the Pitkin County part of Colorado. The surface lies 8,579 feet up. Surface area runs to about 9 acres — small enough to read in one session. 13 miles away sits Aspen, the nearest town. The nearest city of size is Lakewood, 87 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Chapman Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Open biodiversity records for Pitkin County list cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Chapman Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 54°F; by January the average is down near 15°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. Open water usually runs from mid May until about mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Chapman Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Himmelland Reservoir sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Chapman Reservoir in what we hold.