Fishing Roach Reservoir in Huerfano County, Colorado

• Overview

  Huerfano County in Colorado is where Roach Reservoir sits. It stands 8,087 feet above sea level. At roughly 10 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The town to know is Colorado City, 30 miles out. Walsenburg is 35 miles and Alamosa East 36 miles. Close neighbours run: Wolf Reservoir out at 0.8 miles, J M Reservoir 0.9 miles away, Creager Reservoir out at 1.4 miles, Murray Reservoir 2.5 miles away and McKinley Reservoir out at 2.7 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Roach Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Huerfano County list cutthroat trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Roach Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 21°F to 62°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Roach Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Wolf Reservoir, 0.8 miles away. Confirm before you fish Roach Reservoir.