Stillwater Reservoir Fishing Guide, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Stillwater Reservoir stands in Routt County, Colorado. Around the bank it is pine and birch. The water covers some 129 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 2.4 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Size puts it in the front rank of our Routt County list. The nearest town is Gypsum, 28 miles away. Eagle is 30 miles away, with Hayden at 33 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Stillwater Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Across Routt County, recorded fish include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Anyone new to Stillwater Reservoir should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 15°F in January up to 52°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Stillwater Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Mapping shows a campsite some 0.9 miles from the water. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Little Causeway Lake is 0.9 miles distant. The position on Stillwater Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.