Killarney Reservoir in Routt County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Killarney Reservoir in Routt County, Colorado. The ground round it is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Hayden lies 25 miles from the water. The big place round here is Boulder, 97 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Killarney Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Public occurrence data for Routt County names brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Work Killarney Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 52°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Killarney Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Chatfield Reservoir, 1.7 miles away. None of that is settled for Killarney Reservoir in what we hold.