Navajo Reservoir Fishing near Bayfield, Colorado

• Overview

  Navajo Reservoir lies in Archuleta County, in Colorado. The setting is open valley. Around 24.0 sq miles of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. Bays run back a long way, and the fish move between them with the season. By surface area it heads our Archuleta County listings. For a base, Bayfield sits 19 miles out. Navajo is 19 miles away, with Dulce at 22 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Navajo Reservoir

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Reported across Archuleta County: brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Navajo Reservoir gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 69°F and January near 26°F on the long-run figures. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It sets the rhythm of the year at Navajo Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Pine River Watershed PR-1 Reservoir is 8.3 miles distant. Check the position on Navajo Reservoir before loading the car.