McKelvie Reservoir in Mesa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  McKelvie Reservoir lies in Mesa County, in Colorado. This is pine and birch ground. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. Battlement Mesa sits 22 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Rifle, 22 miles, and Parachute, 23 miles. What else is close: Vega Reservoir at about 2.7 miles, Gander Pond within 2.9 miles, Elk Lake at about 4.3 miles, Monument Reservoir Number 2 within 6.6 miles and Rock Lake at about 6.9 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on McKelvie Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Mesa County, recorded fish include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and green sunfish. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. McKelvie Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 59°F and January at 18°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on McKelvie Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Vega Reservoir, 2.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at McKelvie Reservoir carry more weight than any list.