Fishing at M H Number 2 Reservoir, Elbert County, Colorado

• Overview

  M H Number 2 Reservoir lies in Elbert County, in Colorado. Beyond the shoreline you have open valley. Roughly 48 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. On our Elbert County list it sits near the top for size. Some 20 miles away sits Limon, the nearest settlement. After that come Byers at 23 miles and Strasburg at 28 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on M H Number 2 Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for Elbert County cover green sunfish, bluegill and fathead minnow. The county list is broader than any single water. This water gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 72°F and January about 26°F. The season stretches long at both ends here. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. This water runs to that rhythm year in and year out. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Ball Reservoir, 2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for this water in what we hold.