Fishing Crossan Reservoir in Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Crossan Reservoir is one of the Routt County listings for Colorado. It lies 9,042 feet above sea level. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Gypsum sits 25 miles from the bank. Eagle lies 25 miles off, Kremmling another 30 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Crossan Reservoir

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Across Routt County, recorded fish include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Crossan Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Break-up sits around early May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Crossan Reservoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Sterner Reservoir, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Crossan Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.