Gould Reservoir Fishing in Montrose County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Montrose County, Colorado. It lies 7,303 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 303 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Around 2.4 miles of margin, front to back. On our Montrose County list it sits near the top for size. Montrose is the closest town at 18 miles. Beyond it, Paonia at 18 miles and Olathe at 22 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Gould Reservoir

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Reported across Montrose County: rainbow trout, flannelmouth sucker, brown trout and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Gould Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 20°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Gould Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Poison Spring Reservoir sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Gould Reservoir are worth checking on the day.