McDonough Reservoir Fishing in Hinsdale County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds McDonough Reservoir, in Hinsdale County. Land around it is rolling bush. It measures about 32 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Nearest place of any size is Gunnison, 27 miles away. Colorado Springs sits 121 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on McDonough Reservoir

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Fish documented in Hinsdale County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Take McDonough Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 53°F and January at 13°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At McDonough Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is McDonough Reservoir Number 2, 3.4 miles out. Nothing on McDonough Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.