Where to Go Spinney Reservoir
Current Reports
Open 9 am to 6 pm Daily
Report Date: 10/19/2026
Spinney Boat Ramp Closure - The North Boat Ramp is closed to trailered launching due to low water levels. Spinney Mountain Reservoir remains open to hand-launched, motorized vessels.
Conditions:
Spinney Mountain Reservoir features stable water levels and clear visibility across the flats, with water temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s. This seasonal transition draws trophy cutbows, heavy rainbows, and pre-spawn brown trout toward the shallow weed edges, rocky shoals, and steep drop-offs. Early calm mornings offer prime sight casting opportunities along the shoreline, though the transparent water requires extreme stealth from anglers.
Weather:
Short-Term -
Expect sunny skies today with highs near 87 degrees Fahrenheit and variable southwest winds gusting up to 21 mph, creating localized mud lines along the banks. Temperatures will drop to a cloudy evening low around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The Independence Day holiday weekend brings a 30 to 50 percent chance of sudden afternoon thunderstorms that can rapidly churn up the open water.
Long-Term -
A monsoonal pattern locks in for the upcoming week, bringing daily afternoon showers and dangerous high-country lightning risks. Morning sun will push daily highs between 88 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit before the clouds build. These rain cycles are critical for maintaining reservoir inflows since the regional snowpack melted out early this season.
Hatches:
Morning midges offer reliable insect activity in the protected coves, while Blue Winged Olives emerge in the film during cool or overcast afternoons. Subsurface feeding remains incredibly strong, driven by dense populations of freshwater scuds, aquatic worms, and migrating damselfly nymphs concentrated near the dying weedbeds.
Tactics:
The notoriously clear water requires long presentations and a delicate touch. Stillwater anglers should utilize 9 to 12-foot leaders tapering down to 4X or 5X fluorocarbon tippet to avoid spooking cruising fish. Suspended nymph rigs fished under small indicators just above the weed tops work perfectly, as does a slow retrieve with balanced midges, woolly buggers, and leech patterns along the deeper drop-off edges.
Tips:
Always target the windward shores where heavy wave action stirs up gravel and dislodges aquatic insects for feeding trout. Approach the lake bank cautiously at an angle rather than walking right up to the water, as large fish frequently patrol within a few feet of the edge. Utilize overcast days to beat the glare and ensure quick, careful fish handling to protect these high altitude trout.
Photo by Josh Heney
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Recommended Fly Patterns
Dry Fly Patterns
- Parachute Callibaetis, sizes #16-18
- Sprout Midge, sizes #18-22
- Parachute Hopper, sizes #10-12
- Hippy Stomper, Tan or Purple, sizes #12-14
- Stimulator, sizes #10-16
Nymph Patterns
- Balanced Leech, Black, Olive, or Blood Red, sizes #10-12
- Ice Cream Cone Chironomid, Black/Red or Olive, sizes #16-20
- Epoxy Back Scud, Tan, Olive, or Orange, sizes #14-16
- Callibaetis Nymph / Mercer's Poxyback, sizes #16-18
Streamer Patterns
- Baby Gonga, Black
- Flatliner, White
- Slump Buster, Olive
Anglers Covey Bug Of The MOnth:
See below for the Spinney Mountain Reservoir Map, or CLICK HERE for a downloadable PDF.
Reservoir Details
Spinney Reservoir is one of the best stillwater fisheries in the entire western US. The regulations are flies and lures only, and you can harvest one trout over 20 inches. Fish species include: Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Cutbow Trout, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike. There are two boat ramps and several parking areas around the reservoir. It is a $9.00 daily pass fee to get in. Anglers bringing a boat should make sure to clean it thoroughly because they are now inspecting for Zebra Mussels.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shot if you have any question or if you interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides to show you how to conquer Spinney Reservoir.