Elk Head Reservoir Fishing in Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Routt County in Colorado is where Elk Head Reservoir sits. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. At some 712 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Size puts it in the front rank of our Routt County list. Supplies mean a trip to Hayden, 8.1 miles off. It is 117 miles to Boulder, the nearest city. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Elk Head Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Routt County records list brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Elk Head Reservoir is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 66°F, while January sits near 19°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. On average, early April opens the water and late November closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Elk Head Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Leftwich Reservoir is 4 miles distant. What applies at Elk Head Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.