Fishing at Saddle Reservoir, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Saddle Reservoir is a Routt County water, in Colorado. It sits at 8,593 feet above sea level. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. 18 miles away sits Hayden, the nearest town. Boulder sits 112 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Saddle Reservoir

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Reported across Routt County: brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Saddle Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 62°F, the coldest about 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Saddle Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Wyman Reservoir is 0.9 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Saddle Reservoir for certain.