Upper Stillwater Reservoir, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Upper Stillwater Reservoir falls in Routt County, part of Colorado. Height above sea level is 9,754 feet. Surface area is around 56 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. With about 1.7 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is among the larger waters listed here for Routt County. Nearest town is Gypsum, 28 miles off. For a city, Boulder is 96 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Upper Stillwater Reservoir

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Public occurrence data for Routt County names brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Upper Stillwater Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 53°F and January about 17°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Upper Stillwater Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. There are toilets half a mile off. 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. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Yamcolo Reservoir is 1.4 miles off. Where Upper Stillwater Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.