Rand Reservoir Fishing Guide, Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  Rand Reservoir belongs to Jackson County, Colorado. Height above sea level is 8,461 feet. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Most waters listed here for Jackson County are larger. Granby lies 32 miles from the water. Fort Collins is the closest city, 58 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Rand Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Open biodiversity records for Jackson County list brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, Arctic grayling and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Rand Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 58°F and January at 17°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rand Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Shawver Reservoir is 0.7 miles off. Check the position at Rand Reservoir before loading the car.