Monument Reservoir Number 2 Fishing Guide, Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Mesa County, Colorado. It stands 10,554 feet above sea level. About 15 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The town to know is Cedaredge, 18 miles out. Further out sit Paonia (19 miles) and Orchard City (24 miles). This one is safely inside the county line. Most anglers in the area know Kenney Creek Reservoir, 4.2 miles away.

• Where to Fish on Monument Reservoir Number 2

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Survey and observation records for Mesa County include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, green sunfish, white sucker and common carp. The county list is broader than any single water. At this water light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 54°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On this water that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This one is mapped as intermittent, so a wasted trip is a real risk in a dry year. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Monument Reservoir Number 1, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about this water if anything is unclear.