Little Cottonwood Reservoir Fishing Guide, Eagle County, Colorado

• Overview

  Little Cottonwood Reservoir stands in Eagle County, Colorado. It lies 8,812 feet above sea level. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Eagle County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Kremmling, 14 miles down the road. Edwards is 17 miles away, with Avon at 18 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Cottonwood 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. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Eagle County records list brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Little Cottonwood Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 58°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Cottonwood Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Gutzler Lakes is 2.1 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Little Cottonwood Reservoir for certain.