Fishing at Clear Creek Reservoir, Chaffee County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Clear Creek Reservoir in Chaffee County, Colorado. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. Surface area runs to roughly 388 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Around 3.7 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Among the waters listed for Chaffee County, none is wider. The closest town, Buena Vista, is 14 miles distant. For a city, Colorado Springs is 78 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Clear Creek Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. 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. Chaffee County records list brown trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Clear Creek Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 56°F and January near 16°F on the long-run figures. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Clear Creek Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Mapping shows parking within half a mile. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Twin Lakes, 6.3 miles out. For Clear Creek Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.