Spectacle Reservoir in San Miguel County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Spectacle Reservoir is one of the San Miguel County listings for Colorado. The water sits 6,598 feet up. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our San Miguel County list. Monticello sits 38 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Mountain Village, 50 miles, and Olathe, 52 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Spectacle Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. San Miguel County records list rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and brook trout among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Spectacle Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 27°F. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Spectacle Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Cottonwood Pond at 14 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Spectacle Reservoir.