Fishing at De Camp Reservoir, Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds De Camp Reservoir, in Mesa County. It sits in pine and birch country. This is a pocket water of some 2 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Mesa County standards. You are 18 miles from Cedaredge. Boulder is the closest city, 158 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on De Camp Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Mesa County include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and green sunfish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Treat De Camp Reservoir as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 21°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on De Camp Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Bull Basin Reservoir Number 2 is 3.9 miles off. The position on De Camp Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.