Fishing at Himmelland Reservoir, Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Himmelland Reservoir in Pitkin County, Colorado. It lies 8,816 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The nearest town is Aspen, 14 miles away. Leadville North follows at 19 miles, then Snowmass Village at 19 miles. Also on the doorstep: Diemer Lake 1.3 miles, Chapman Reservoir (1.9 miles), Sellar Lake 2.7 miles, Nast E Lake (3.4 miles) and Chapman Lake 3.7 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Himmelland Reservoir

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Pitkin County include cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Himmelland Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 54°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Himmelland Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Diemer Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Himmelland Reservoir.