Dreyfus Reservoir in Delta County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Delta County, Colorado. The ground round it is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 3 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Delta County standards. Some 8.9 miles away sits Cedaredge, the nearest settlement. Orchard City lies 15 miles off, Paonia another 18 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Dreyfus Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Delta County records list rainbow trout, white sucker and flannelmouth sucker among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Dreyfus Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 56°F for July and 17°F for January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Dreyfus Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try Cole Reservoir Number 4, 0.8 miles away. None of that is settled for Dreyfus Reservoir in what we hold.