Fishing Z K Reservoir in San Miguel County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Z K Reservoir in San Miguel County, Colorado. The setting is mixed forest. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. Most waters listed here for San Miguel County are larger. The nearest place of any size is Mountain Village, 22 miles away. Montrose lies 22 miles off, Telluride another 23 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Z K Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for San Miguel County names rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Z K Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 61°F and January reads 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Z K Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Hotchkiss Reservoir, 1.9 miles out. Ask locally about Z K Reservoir if anything is unclear.