Maria Reservoir in Huerfano County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Maria Reservoir belongs to Huerfano County, Colorado. The water sits 5,906 feet up. It measures about 190 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. A shoreline of some 2.6 miles keeps the choices simple. Nothing else we list in Huerfano County covers more water. Nearest place of any size is Walsenburg, 6.5 miles away. Colorado City follows at 20 miles, then Trinidad at 36 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Maria Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. County-wide records name cutthroat trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Treat Maria Reservoir as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 73°F in July and bottom out at 33°F in January. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. It sets the rhythm of the year at Maria Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Holita Reservoir is 3.5 miles off. None of that is settled for Maria Reservoir in what we hold.