Fishing Elk Wallows Reservoir in Delta County, Colorado

• Overview

  Within Delta County, Colorado, you have Elk Wallows Reservoir. This is rolling bush ground. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Paonia, 12 miles off. The big place round here is Boulder, 147 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Elk Wallows Reservoir

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Species logged across Delta County include rainbow trout, white sucker, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and brown trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Elk Wallows Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 54°F, with January the cold end at about 16°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Elk Wallows Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records show it does not hold water year-round. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Hartman Reservoir at 0.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Elk Wallows Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.