Martin Creek Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Colorado holds Martin Creek Reservoir, in Routt County. It sits in pine and birch country. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Steamboat Springs is the closest place, 14 miles off. Beyond it, Hayden at 24 miles and Kremmling at 31 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end. There is enough here to keep coming back.

• Where to Fish on Martin Creek Reservoir

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Survey and observation records for Routt County include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Martin Creek Reservoir light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 60°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan around that when you fish Martin Creek Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Henderson Reservoir, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Martin Creek Reservoir locally before you travel.