Stinsby Reservoir Fishing Guide, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Out in Routt County, Colorado, sits Stinsby Reservoir. It lies 9,334 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Head to Hayden, 21 miles away, for anything you forgot. Boulder sits 111 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Stinsby Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Routt County records list brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Stinsby Reservoir decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 58°F and January near 20°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early May and starts locking again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Stinsby Reservoir more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Pagoda Lake is 4.3 miles distant. Signs at Stinsby Reservoir carry more weight than any list.