Fishing Opalair Reservoir in Gilpin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Gilpin County, Colorado, this is Opalair Reservoir. The bank is 8,675 feet above sea level. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. Our Gilpin County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Nederland, 1.9 miles away. Further out sit Coal Creek (7.3 miles) and Idaho Springs (13 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Opalair Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Gilpin County include brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Opalair Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 57°F and January near 24°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly late November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Opalair Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Glen Reservoir is 0.2 miles distant. Nothing on Opalair Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.