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John Martin Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The plains of southeastern Colorado: John Martin holds walleye, wipers and crappie where the prairie meets the Arkansas.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
9 cfs
Air / High
96 / 99 F
Wind
WSW 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07124000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

John Martin Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 9 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings cloud cover, wind WSW around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1004 hPa and a high of 99. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Similar at 101 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Arkansas River at Las Animas (below).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07124000.

2456879 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low99 / 68 F
WindWSW 10-19 mph
Pressure1003.9 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain95% cloud, 18%
Sunrise / Sunset06:24 / 19:16
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 99/68 F, wind 19 mph, rain 18%

Fair or better. A 19 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

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: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

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
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 97 F, wind to 18 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 92 F, wind to 20 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 license plus state park pass. Walleye, wiper and crappie limits per current CPW regulations.

Access

John Martin Reservoir State Park ramps and campgrounds; Lake Hasty below the dam.

About this water

A Corps flood-control reservoir on the Arkansas River, Bent County, Colorado, with capacity varying widely by year.

Fishing John Martin Reservoir: the full guide

Colorado’s other reservoir

John Martin Reservoir spreads across the Arkansas River valley in southeastern Colorado, a Corps flood-control lake surrounded by shortgrass prairie rather than mountains. Capacity varies enormously with drought and irrigation demand, which shapes everything. When water is present, the fishery is productive: walleye and saugeye, wipers, white bass, crappie, largemouth and catfish.

Walleye and wipers

Walleye and saugeye hold the rocky shorelines, points and flats: jigs in spring, trolled crawler harnesses through summer, and a jig bite in fall. Wipers school over the open water chasing shad and provide the lake’s hardest fights, best located by watching for surface activity in summer. White bass do the same in bigger numbers.

Crappie, cats and level

Crappie hold whatever brush and structure the current pool provides, best in spring. Catfish work the flats and are reliable from the bank. The defining variable is water level: drought years shrink the lake dramatically and concentrate fish, while wet years spread them across flooded flats. Check current elevation before planning.

Southeastern Colorado logistics

John Martin Reservoir State Park manages ramps, campgrounds and the Lake Hasty area below the dam, which holds its own stocked fishery. Wind sweeps the prairie relentlessly. Lamar and Las Animas provide supplies. The area is a birding destination as well, with the surrounding prairie hosting substantial waterfowl and shorebird traffic.

Common questions

How much does the level vary?

Enormously: drought and irrigation demand can shrink it dramatically, while wet years fill it and flood new cover.

What is Lake Hasty?

A small lake below the dam, stocked and easy to fish from the bank: a reliable option when the big lake is low.

What is the main species?

Walleye and saugeye, with wipers providing the hardest fights and crappie filling the spring card.

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: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Pueblo Reservoir100 miTrinidad Lake110 miAurora Reservoir142 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)148 miElevenmile Canyon Reservoir152 miChatfield Reservoir154 mi
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