Fishing Yoast Reservoir Number 1 in Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Yoast Reservoir Number 1, in Routt County. The country here is pine and birch. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Routt County. Some 13 miles away sits Hayden, the nearest settlement. Boulder is the closest city, 104 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Yoast Reservoir Number 1

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Routt County include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Treat this water as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 60°F and January reads 19°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. This water runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. 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. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, James Marion Yoast Reservoir is 1.4 miles distant. Confirm before you fish this water.