Old City Reservoir Fishing Guide, San Miguel County, Colorado

• Overview

  Old City Reservoir is one of the San Miguel County waters in Colorado. The bank gives way to rolling bush. The water measures roughly 3 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest town is Mountain Village, 26 miles off. Beyond it, Telluride at 28 miles and Ouray at 34 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Old City Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. County-wide records name rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Old City Reservoir gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 23°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Old City Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Gurley Reservoir, 4.3 miles away. For Old City Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.