Fishing at Lake Fork Reservoir, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Routt County, Lake Fork Reservoir is a Colorado water. The surface lies 7,861 feet up. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Routt County. Nearest place of any size is Hayden, 30 miles away. Beyond it, Craig at 34 miles and Steamboat Springs at 35 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Fork Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Records held for Routt County cover brook trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Lake Fork Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 61°F for July and 19°F for January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late November in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Lake Fork Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. 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. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Boyer Reservoir, 2.2 miles out. Confirm before you fish Lake Fork Reservoir.