Fishing at Groundhog Reservoir, Dolores County, Colorado

• Overview

  Groundhog Reservoir is a Dolores County water, Colorado side. Height above sea level is 8,724 feet. Roughly 544 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. It is the biggest water on our Dolores County list. The nearest town is Mountain Village, 26 miles away. It is 201 miles to Colorado Springs, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Groundhog Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Across Dolores County, recorded fish include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and walleye. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Groundhog Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 20°F and July at about 61°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Groundhog Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Old Dunham Reservoir is 2.9 miles distant. Ask locally about Groundhog Reservoir if anything is unclear.