Gurley Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Gurley Reservoir lies within the bounds of San Miguel County, Colorado. Elevation runs to 8,261 feet. About 319 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The full circuit measures close to 2.9 miles on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our San Miguel County list. Supplies mean a trip to Mountain Village, 22 miles off. The big place round here is Colorado Springs, 194 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Gurley Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across San Miguel County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Gurley Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 64°F and January at 23°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Gurley Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Cone Reservoir, 2 miles away. For Gurley Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.