Franklin Reservoir in Adams County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Franklin Reservoir lies in Adams County, in Colorado. The surface lies 5,207 feet up. It covers about 4 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Adams County. Some 0.7 miles away sits Sherrelwood, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Westminster, 2.5 miles away. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Franklin Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Across Adams County, recorded fish include common carp, white sucker and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Take Franklin Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 74°F for July and 31°F for January. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Anyone fishing Franklin Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. A toilet block sits half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Gordon Lake, 1.5 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Franklin Reservoir for certain.