Smith Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Costilla County, Smith Reservoir is a Colorado water. The country here is dry open country. At some 657 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 3.7 miles in total. On our Costilla County list it sits near the top for size. Alamosa East sits 18 miles from the bank. Alamosa is 19 miles and Monte Vista 36 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Smith Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Open biodiversity records for Costilla County list cutthroat trout, white sucker, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Smith Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 19°F and July at about 65°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late March. The open-water window runs from around late March to about early December in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Smith Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Mountain Home Reservoir, 7.9 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Smith Reservoir for certain.