Fishing at Hartman Retention Reservoir, Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Hartman Retention Reservoir, in Mesa County. Height above sea level is 4,852 feet. A pocket of water where every cast reaches cover. It is a small entry by Mesa County standards. 2.6 miles away sits Fruitvale, the nearest town. The big place round here is Boulder, 183 miles distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Hartman Retention Reservoir

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Mesa County include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, green sunfish, white sucker and common carp. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Hartman Retention Reservoir is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 78°F and January near 27°F on the long-run figures. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan around that when you fish Hartman Retention Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Guild Reservoir, 12 miles out. Confirm before you fish Hartman Retention Reservoir.