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John Martin Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

John Martin Reservoir: a Corps reservoir on the plains of southeastern Colorado, with a state park, Lake Hasty below the dam and low water in 2026.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Lake level
3805.64 ft
Air / High
56 / 83 F
Wind
E 4 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07130000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

John Martin Reservoir rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The gauge reads 3805.64 ft, holding steady. Today brings cloud cover, wind E around 4 mph, falling pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 83. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:29 AM-11:29 AM and 9:58 PM-11:58 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeExcellent

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Yellow perchExcellent

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

CrappieGood

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Hybrid striped bassGood

In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 64 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Colorado requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $57.63 for residents. What a Colorado licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with CPW before you keep anything. The season dates for Colorado, read off the agency, are on the Colorado seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from John Martin Reservoir at Caddoa.

Water level, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07130000.

3801.883803.413804.943805.64 ft09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp56 F
High / Low83 / 54 F
WindE 4-7 mph
Pressure1009.0 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 31%
Sunrise / Sunset07:08 / 18:03
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish John Martin Reservoir this week

Today is the pick of the week on John Martin Reservoir, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:29 AM-11:29 AM and 9:58 PM-11:58 PM
Minor period
3:52 AM-4:52 AM
Sun
07:08 to 18:03
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 19 mph
Rain chance
31%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on John Martin Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Hybrid striped bass illustration

Hybrid striped bass

Best: the spring shad spawn and fall; summer at dawn and dusk

A hatchery cross of striped bass and white bass, also called wiper or palmetto bass, stocked by state agencies into reservoirs and rivers as a sport fish that also eats gizzard shad. Schools roam open water after shad. In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

When to come: the John Martin Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Crappie
Hybrid striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks John Martin Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 85 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Colorado requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Colorado fishing license, plus a state parks pass for the state park area (daily vehicle pass $10-$12 with Colorado plates, $15-$17 out of state). Check current CPW fishing regulations for walleye, saugeye, wiper and crappie limits.

Access

East boat ramp open to trailered boats (smaller craft); west ramp closed to trailers since June 30, 2026. Ramps close November 1 to March 14 for waterfowl. Free shoreline fishing in the Corps wildlife area.

About this water

A Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Arkansas River near Hasty, Bent County, Colorado; John Martin Reservoir State Park covers 12,286 acres.

Fishing John Martin Reservoir: the full guide

Corps lake, state park

John Martin Reservoir is a Corps of Engineers lake whose recreation areas and campgrounds are run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The Corps portion is a wildlife area with no entrance fee, open for day-use hiking, shoreline fishing, wildlife viewing and hunting; the state park portion, with the boat ramps, Lake Hasty and camping, requires a state parks pass. CPW lists the park at 12,286 acres.

Fish in the reservoir and in Lake Hasty

According to CPW, anglers on the reservoir may catch walleye, saugeye, bass, wiper, crappie, perch and catfish. Lake Hasty, just below the dam, is stocked with trout, bluegill, bass, saugeye and wiper; only hand-launched, hand-powered and electric-motor craft are allowed there, and an accessible fishing pier sits on its west shore.

Low water in 2026

On June 30, 2026, CPW closed the west boat ramp to trailered boats because of drought and falling water, and expected the closure to last the rest of the boating season unless levels rose significantly. Hand-launched craft can still use the west ramp. The east ramp, a low-water ramp near the dam, stays open, but CPW warns that large boats should not attempt it. The park also posts a toxic-algae caution for the west ramp cove.

Birds and the season calendar

Around 400 bird species have been recorded in the area, and the reservoir is a stop on the Colorado Birding Trail, says CPW. The boat ramps normally close from November 1 to March 14 each year for waterfowl resting.

Common questions

What is Lake Hasty?

A lake just below the dam that CPW stocks with trout, bluegill, bass, saugeye and wiper; only hand-launched, hand-powered or electric-motor craft are allowed.

Do I need a park pass?

For the state park area with the ramps, Lake Hasty and campgrounds, yes. The Corps says its wildlife area has no entrance fee for day-use shoreline fishing.

Is fishing good at John Martin Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Pueblo Reservoir99 miTrinidad Lake110 miAurora Reservoir141 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)148 miElevenmile Canyon Reservoir152 miChatfield Reservoir153 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 07130000 β€” John Martin Reservoir at Caddoa
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 13:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 38.0680, -102.9420 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 7, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 7, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.