Cottonwood Reservoir in Grand County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cottonwood Reservoir is listed under Grand County, Colorado. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The closest town, Granby, is 7 miles away. Fraser follows at 16 miles, then Kremmling at 17 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. County-wide records name black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Cottonwood Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 58°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cottonwood Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Huntington Reservoir is 1.7 miles off. Treat Cottonwood Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.