Pothole Reservoir Number 1, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Gunnison County, Colorado, sits Pothole Reservoir Number 1. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Gunnison County standards. The nearest place of any size is Aspen, 21 miles away. Crested Butte lies 21 miles off, Snowmass Village another 26 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Pothole Reservoir Number 1

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read this water before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 52°F and January reads 11°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late May. The season between ice runs from about late May to early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On this water that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A carry of 0.9 miles from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Facilities include toilets around 0.9 miles from here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lily Pond at 2.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at this water are worth checking on the day.