Michaelsen Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Michaelsen Reservoir is set in Delta County, Colorado. The surroundings are rolling bush. Small at around 4 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Delta County are larger. Cedaredge sits 15 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Boulder, 152 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Michaelsen Reservoir

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Reported across Delta County: rainbow trout, white sucker and flannelmouth sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Michaelsen Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 57°F on average, January about 17°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, mid May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on Michaelsen Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records show it does not hold water year-round. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Carpenter Reservoir at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Michaelsen Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.