Fishing Thirty One Reservoir in Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Thirty One Reservoir in Jackson County, Colorado. The bank is 8,271 feet above sea level. Some 35 miles away sits Steamboat Springs, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Fort Collins, 58 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules. It is easier to fish well than to fish quickly.

• Where to Fish on Thirty One Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Reported across Jackson County: brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, Arctic grayling and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Thirty One Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 58°F and January at 17°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Thirty One Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Mac Farlane Reservoir, 7.4 miles away. Rules at Thirty One Reservoir are worth checking on the day.