Ward Reservoir Number 5 Fishing Guide, Denver County, Colorado

• Overview

  Ward Reservoir Number 5 lies within the bounds of Denver County, Colorado. Height above sea level is 5,463 feet. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The town to know is Sheridan, 2.4 miles out. Lakewood sits 2.5 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Ward Reservoir Number 5

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Records held for Denver County cover common carp, white sucker, bluegill, green sunfish and longnose sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At this water light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 73°F; by January the average is down near 31°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. On this water the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Wolcott Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Confirm before you fish this water.