Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir in Garfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir in Garfield County, Colorado. Land around it is lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 14 acres — small enough to read in one session. The town to know is Carbondale, 6.2 miles out. Glenwood Springs follows at 7.7 miles, then El Jebel at 8.9 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Across Garfield County, recorded fish include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 65°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. 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. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Hopkins Reservoir is 2.9 miles distant. Ask locally about Van Cleave-Fisher Reservoir if anything is unclear.