Fishing Walden Reservoir in Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Walden Reservoir belongs to Jackson County. What surrounds it is rolling bush. It measures some 766 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The outline measures near 8.4 miles, so local knowledge counts. Of the waters listed here in Jackson County, this is the largest. Steamboat Springs lies 32 miles from the water. Fort Collins is the closest city, 65 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Walden Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public occurrence data for Jackson County names brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Walden Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 59°F, the coldest about 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On average, late April opens the water and mid November closes it again. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Walden Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Fischer Lake is 3.1 miles off. Check the position at Walden Reservoir before loading the car.