Fishing Harris Reservoir in Rio Blanco County, Colorado

• Overview

  Harris Reservoir stands in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. The water measures roughly 12 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Rifle is the closest town at 13 miles. Beyond it, Silt at 16 miles and Parachute at 20 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about. Ground round the water is mixed, open in parts and thick in others.

• Where to Fish on Harris Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Public occurrence data for Rio Blanco County names flannelmouth sucker, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, bluehead sucker and mountain whitefish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Harris Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 63°F; by January the average is down near 21°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Harris Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Larson Reservoir Number 2, 4.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Harris Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.