Fishing Smith Reservoir in San Miguel County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in San Miguel County, Colorado. The surroundings are lake country bush. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. It is a small entry by San Miguel County standards. Mountain Village lies 21 miles from the water. Telluride lies 23 miles off, Montrose another 25 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Smith Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across San Miguel County: rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Smith Reservoir rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 64°F and January at 23°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Smith Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Section 7 Reservoir, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Smith Reservoir in what we hold.