Overland Reservoir in Gunnison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Overland Reservoir in Gunnison County, Colorado. The surface lies 9,885 feet up. Surface area is around 238 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 2.4 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It ranks high for size among our Gunnison County listings. Paonia is the closest place, 15 miles off. The nearest city of size is Boulder, 142 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Overland Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Fish documented in Gunnison County include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Take Overland Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 56°F on average, January about 17°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. Ice clears near early May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Overland Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Crater Lake at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Overland Reservoir if anything is unclear.