Fishing at Fravert Reservoir, Garfield County, Colorado

• Overview

  Fravert Reservoir belongs to Garfield County, Colorado. The ground around here is mixed forest. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. You are 1.1 miles from Rifle. The big place round here is Boulder, 138 miles distant. More in the same country: Murphy Reservoir within 2.6 miles, Rifle Gap Reservoir 6.3 miles, Grass Valley Reservoir within 8.7 miles, Parker Lake 11 miles and Harris Reservoir within 12 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Fravert Reservoir

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Records held for Garfield County cover cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Fravert Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 24°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Fravert Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Murphy Reservoir is 2.6 miles off. What applies at Fravert Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.