Fishing at Old Dunham Reservoir, Dolores County, Colorado

• Overview

  Old Dunham Reservoir sits within Dolores County in Colorado. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. For a base, Mountain Village sits 28 miles out. Telluride is 30 miles and Mancos 33 miles. Other water within reach: Belmear Lake 0.9 miles, Arrowhead Lake after 2.7 miles, Groundhog Reservoir 2.9 miles, Morrison Lake after 3.1 miles and Spruce Lake 5 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Old Dunham Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Dolores County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Old Dunham Reservoir responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 62°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Old Dunham Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Belmear Lake, 0.9 miles out. Confirm before you fish Old Dunham Reservoir.