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54-acre reservoir near Adams County. The lake tops out around 24 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
On the chart, Jim Baker Reservoir draws 53 acres inside 1.5 miles of shoreline. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.4) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 60% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.3 mi across. You'll find it in Adams County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Berkeley Lake, 2 mi south of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 24 ft before dropping to 7 to 24 ft for winter. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 7 to 24 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 7 to 24 ft; cold water stacks them in 7 to 24 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 20 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | dusk | Deep basin (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 24 ft before dropping to 7 to 24 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 20 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season yellow perch use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 7 to 24 ft game here, winter a 7 to 24 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 7 to 24 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 7 to 24 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 7 to 24 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Jim Baker Reservoir also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), rainbow trout (6 to 24 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Jim Baker Reservoir carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Colorado waters are set by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Jim Baker Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
Jim Baker Reservoir is about 24 ft (7 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, common carp, channel catfish, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, rainbow trout on Jim Baker Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Jim Baker Reservoir is regulated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Colorado regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Berkeley Lake 2 mi · Rocky Mtn Lake 2 mi · Standley Lake 6 mi · Arvada Reservoir 9 mi · Hunters Glen Lake 9 mi · Waneka Lake 14 mi · Chatfield Reservoir 19 mi · Gross Reservoir 20 mi · Boulder City Reservoir 21 mi · Milavec Reservoir 22 mi · Union Reservoir 26 mi · Barker Reservoir 26 mi
See how Jim Baker Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Colorado · best smallmouth bass lakes in Colorado · best crappie lakes in Colorado · best bluegill lakes in Colorado
Browse all Colorado fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.