Fishing at Empire Reservoir, Morgan County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Empire Reservoir, in Morgan County. The water sits 4,518 feet up. It measures some 3.3 sq miles, and wind has room to build across it. You are looking at roughly 14 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. On our Morgan County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Fort Morgan, 19 miles off. Then Keenesburg, 22 miles, and Kersey, 23 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Empire Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Reported across Morgan County: common carp, white sucker, Iowa darter, green sunfish and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Work Empire Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 74°F in July and bottom out at 25°F in January. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It holds true on Empire Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Riverside Reservoir is 7.1 miles off. Nothing on Empire Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.