City Reservoir in La Plata County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  City Reservoir falls in La Plata County, part of Colorado. The bank is 10,938 feet above sea level. At about 32 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest town is Bayfield, 22 miles off. Pueblo sits 170 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on City Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Public occurrence data for La Plata County names rainbow trout, brook trout and bluehead sucker. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read City Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 51°F; the cold one sits at 15°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. The lid tends to go about early June and return around mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on City Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Castilleja Lake, 2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For City Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.