Fishing at McDonough Reservoir Number 2, Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  McDonough Reservoir Number 2 is listed under Gunnison County, Colorado. The ground around here is lake country bush. Around 78 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Roughly 1.2 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Size puts it in the front rank of our Gunnison County list. For a base, Gunnison sits 25 miles out. Colorado Springs is the closest city, 117 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on McDonough Reservoir Number 2

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Records held for Gunnison County cover rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At this water light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 54°F on average, January about 12°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, McDonough Reservoir is 3.4 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for this water.