Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  In Colorado, Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir falls inside Bent County. The surface lies 3,770 feet up. Surface area runs to about 22 acres — small enough to read in one session. Shoreline comes to about 1.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Lamar sits 16 miles from the bank. Beyond it, Las Animas at 17 miles and La Junta at 36 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Reported across Bent County: common carp, walleye and white bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 28°F in January and 78°F in July. In milder years the surface never sets. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. That is the shape of the year on Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lake Hasty is 2.6 miles distant. For Dingwall Ditch Retention Reservoir in particular, ask before you travel.