Fishing Long Draw Reservoir in Montezuma County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Long Draw Reservoir falls inside Montezuma County. It lies 8,350 feet above sea level. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Mancos sits 23 miles from the bank. For a city, Albuquerque is 202 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter. It sits away from the main road, which keeps the noise down.

• Where to Fish on Long Draw Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Survey and observation records for Montezuma County include bluehead sucker, brook trout, bluegill, walleye and channel catfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Long Draw Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 63°F in July and bottoms out near 24°F in January. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Long Draw Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Bald Hill Reservoir, 1.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Long Draw Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.