Reservoir Number 1 Fishing near Ordway, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Crowley County, Colorado. Everything around it is open dry country. At roughly 15 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Crowley County list. Ordway lies 18 miles from the water. Pueblo sits 50 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Reservoir Number 1

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Across Crowley County, recorded fish include common carp, largemouth bass, bluegill and gizzard shad. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. This water gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 76°F and January reads 29°F. In milder years the surface never sets. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Expect this water to follow that timing. Water temperature lags the air by a week or so.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, South McCabe Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at this water are worth checking on the day.