Fishing at Joe Moore Reservoir, Montezuma County, Colorado

• Overview

  Joe Moore Reservoir is listed under Montezuma County, Colorado. Height above sea level is 7,697 feet. The water covers some 37 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The town to know is Mancos, 5.6 miles out. Beyond it, Cortez at 16 miles and Durango at 26 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Joe Moore Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Reported across Montezuma County: bluehead sucker, brook trout, bluegill, walleye and channel catfish. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Joe Moore Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 63°F, while January sits near 24°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing Joe Moore Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Sellers and McClane Reservoir, 0.4 miles away. Confirm access to Joe Moore Reservoir locally before you travel.