Hermit Reservoir 3, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within San Juan County, Colorado, you have Hermit Reservoir 3. Elevation runs to 9,875 feet. With some 38 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our San Juan County list. Ouray is the closest town at 28 miles. Further out sit Telluride (32 miles) and Mountain Village (34 miles). No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Hermit Reservoir 3

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for San Juan County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of this water is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 12°F in January to roughly 52°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. From about late May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Hermit Number 4 Reservoir is 0.4 miles off. Nothing on this water should be assumed from this page alone.