Mariano Reservoir in Larimer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Mariano Reservoir in the Larimer County part of Colorado. The setting is rolling hill on every side. It measures some 376 acres, and wind has room to build across it. On our Larimer County list it sits near the top for size. Head to Loveland, 3.6 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 14 miles to Fort Collins, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mariano Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Across Larimer County, recorded fish include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker, rainbow trout and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Mariano Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 28°F in January to roughly 72°F in July. Conditions shift steadily rather than sharply. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Mariano Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. There are toilets half a mile off. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try George Rist Reservoir, 0.6 miles away. Ask locally about Mariano Reservoir if anything is unclear.