Horsetooth Reservoir Fishing in Larimer County, Colorado

• Overview

  Horsetooth Reservoir is one of the Larimer County listings for Colorado. Around the bank it is farm and woodlot. This is sizeable water at about 2.8 sq miles, and a boat opens up most of it. Some 19 miles of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. By surface area it heads our Larimer County listings. Fort Collins lies 4.3 miles from the water. Laporte is 4.8 miles away, with Loveland at 12 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Horsetooth Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Records held for Larimer County cover black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Horsetooth Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 28°F in January to roughly 71°F in July. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Horsetooth Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Maxwell Natural Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Dixon Reservoir is 1.1 miles off. Ask locally about Horsetooth Reservoir if anything is unclear.