Where to Go Spinney Reservoir
Current Reports
Open 9 am to 6 pm Daily
Report Date: 10/29/2026
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 water levels remain depressed heading into late autumn, leaving both trailered boat ramps closed and restricting launching strictly to hand-launched craft (kayaks, belly boats, and canoes). Despite low water volume, the reservoir’s Gold Medal fishery continues to deliver strong pre-winter feeding windows as water temperatures drop toward the upper 40s. Trophy cutbows, rainbows, and browns are patrolling the remaining shallow weed fringes and steep gravel drop-offs. Northern pike are aggressively hunting around dying weedlines and shallow points, taking advantage of active forage windows before winter skim ice settles over South Park.
Weather:
Short-Term -
High-plains autumn weather over the next 3 days will bring pleasant conditions across the reservoir, with daytime air temperatures reaching the mid-to-upper 50s. Cold dawn starts in the 20s to low 30s will give way to mid-morning sun, warming shallow shoreline flats. Typical South Park high-elevation winds will predictably build by early afternoon to 12 to 18 mph, creating an active wave chop across open water that breaks up overhead glare and disguises leader profiles.
Long-Term -
Extended 10-day forecasts signal a steady seasonal progression toward early winter across the South Park basin. Highs will gradually step down into the 40s, while overnight lows consistently drop into the 10s and low 20s, bringing hard valley freezes. Rapidly cooling water temperatures will keep trout actively feeding along shallow-to-mid-depth structure right up until seasonal shore ice and cove skim begin to form.
Hatches:
Micro-chironomids (midges, #12–#16) in black, red, and olive form the primary daily food source, with steady hatch activity occurring during calm mid-morning to early afternoon windows. Dense populations of freshwater scuds (gammarus), aquatic worms, and dislodged midge pupae along dying weedbeds provide the main subsurface diet. For large brown trout and northern pike, keying in on yellow perch fry and small baitfish along windward banks drives the most aggressive takes.
Tactics:
Shore anglers should focus their efforts around early morning sun-up and late afternoon windows when large trout patrol close to the banks. Static or slow-retrieved indicator rigs suspended 4 to 8 feet down over weed tops and shelf drops are lethal. Hand-launched kayak and belly-boat anglers should cover ground along the south shore and western inlets, drifting long leaders tapered to 4X or 5X fluorocarbon to prevent spooking fish in clear, low-water conditions. For northern pike, target shallow weed edges and rocky points with slow-retrieved jerkbaits, white tubes, or heavy streamer setups on wire shock tippets.
Tips:
Rig multi-fly indicator setups using a balanced leech or mini-jig lead pattern (black, olive, or blood red) paired with an epoxy scud or red chironomid trailer (#12–#16). Take time to stealthily approach the shoreline before wading in, as large trout often feed within a few feet of the bank along shallow gravel edges. Always observe CPW Gold Medal regulations—artificial flies and lures only, with a bag limit of 1 trout over 20 inches, while all northern pike harvests are encouraged.
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.