Sowards Reservoir Number 4 Fishing in Mineral County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Sowards Reservoir Number 4, in Mineral County. The land about it is mixed forest. Small even by pond standards, it rewards one careful line. Most waters listed here for Mineral County are larger. The closest town, Pagosa Springs, is 30 miles away. After that come Del Norte at 36 miles and Ouray at 42 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Sowards Reservoir Number 4

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Mineral County list brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish this water to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 13°F to 55°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Time your trip to this water by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Meadow Lake Reservoir is 0.4 miles distant. The position on this water is worth confirming on the day.