Fishing Harper Reservoir in Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Harper Reservoir is a Routt County water, Colorado side. The water sits 9,852 feet up. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Nearest place of any size is Gypsum, 26 miles away. Boulder is the closest city, 91 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple. Most people fish the same few areas, which leaves the rest quiet.

• Where to Fish on Harper Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. County-wide records name brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Harper Reservoir the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Harper Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Benton Lake sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Harper Reservoir are worth checking on the day.