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Fishing Sheriff Reservoir: what the data says
7-acre reservoir near Rio Blanco County. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brown Trout fishing at Sheriff Reservoir
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 1 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Sheriff Reservoir
Spring cutthroat trout on Sheriff Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Sheriff Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Sheriff Reservoir?
Sheriff Reservoir is about 10 ft 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.
What fish are in Sheriff Reservoir?
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout on Sheriff Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Sheriff Reservoir?
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Sheriff Reservoir?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Trappers Lake · Colorado River (Upper) · Steamboat Lake · Ruedi Reservoir · Delaney Butte North · Turquoise Lake
See how Sheriff Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Colorado · best brown trout lakes in Colorado · best cutthroat trout lakes in Colorado
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