Fishing at Kenney Reservoir, Rio Blanco County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. What surrounds it is dry open country. Roughly 373 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Around 5.4 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Of the waters listed here in Rio Blanco County, this is the largest. Rangely is the closest town at 5.4 miles. Meeker is 43 miles away, with Naples at 47 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Kenney Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Public occurrence data for Rio Blanco County names flannelmouth sucker, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Kenney Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 72°F in July and bottoms out near 20°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around late March to about early December in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It holds true on Kenney Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Parking within half a mile means no long carry with tackle. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Prairie Dog Reservoir, 6.4 miles out. Where Kenney Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.