Fishing Rapid Creek Reservoir Number 2 in Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  Rapid Creek Reservoir Number 2 lies in Mesa County, Colorado. The surface lies 9,964 feet up. At about 85 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.4 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mesa County list. Palisade sits 7.8 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Clifton lies 13 miles off, Fruitvale another 15 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Rapid Creek Reservoir Number 2

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Across Mesa County, recorded fish include flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker, green sunfish, white sucker and common carp. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At this water the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 61°F, with January the cold end at about 19°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. On average, early May opens the water and late November closes it again. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. This water runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Rapid Creek Reservoir Number 1, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at this water before loading the car.