Fishing at Toponas Rock Reservoir Number 2, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Toponas Rock Reservoir Number 2 is a Routt County water, Colorado side. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Head to Kremmling, 20 miles away, for anything you forgot. Steamboat Springs follows at 27 miles, then Eagle at 31 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Toponas Rock Reservoir Number 2

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Across Routt County, recorded fish include brook trout, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At this water the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 56°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. At this water the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Failing this one, try E M Curry Reservoir, 1 mile away. Rules at this water are worth checking on the day.