Fishing Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir in Dolores County, Colorado

• Overview

  Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir sits in Dolores County, out in Colorado. The setting is rolling bush. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. It is a small entry by Dolores County standards. For supplies, Cortez is 32 miles out. Then Monticello, 33 miles, and Mancos, 40 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 25°F to 64°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Glade Point Reservoir is 0.5 miles off. Rules at Wild Bill Number Two Reservoir are worth checking on the day.