Grand Mesa Reservoir Number 8 Fishing in Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Grand Mesa Reservoir Number 8, in Mesa County. The setting is rolling bush. Roughly 38 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 1.3 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. On our Mesa County list it sits near the top for size. Start from Cedaredge, 12 miles down the road. Boulder sits 163 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Grand Mesa Reservoir Number 8

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Fish documented in Mesa County include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, green sunfish, white sucker and common carp. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish this water to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 17°F in January up to 56°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on this water more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Summit Reservoir Number 2, 0.6 miles out. Where this water is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.