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Tarryall Reservoir Fishing Report

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

South Park's third wheel: Tarryall's sage-flat water fishes the famous valley's program without the famous valley's parking.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
75 / 76 F
Wind
SW 12 mph

Sources: 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.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Tarryall Reservoir is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1002 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 54 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

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 76 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low76 / 42 F
WindSW 12-15 mph
Pressure1002.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 13%
Sunrise / Sunset06:34 / 19:28
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 76/42 F, wind 17 mph, rain 13%

Fair or better. A 17 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Tarryall 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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 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 Tarryall 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. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 75 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 74 F, wind to 18 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 13 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 (+SWA habitat stamp). Standard trout limits; creek stretches check signage.

Access

Tarryall Reservoir SWA ramp and shore; creek accesses above/below.

About this water

175 SWA acres in eastern South Park, Park County, CO. The valley's quiet option.

Fishing Tarryall Reservoir: the full guide

The quiet Park water

Tarryall sits east of the Spinney-Eleven Mile axis: 175 acres of SWA water on Tarryall Creek: stocked rainbows and browns over a scud base, the South Park wind, and none of the gold-medal crowds. The valley's connoisseurs use it as the escape valve.

Working the little flat

Shore fishing rules (the SWA ramps small boats only): spoons and buggers off the dam, bait rigs on the inlet flats, and float tubes stripping leeches when the wind rests. The creek above and below (public SWA stretches) adds brown-trout pocket water: the two-water day is the spot's real card.

Seasons at 8,900

Ice-out (May) cruises fish shallow: summer mornings beat the punctual wind: October browns stage at the inlet: and the ice season (long at altitude) jigs steady if modest fish. The pronghorn and the quiet are the amenities.

SWA practicalities

CPW's State Wildlife Area rules apply (habitat stamp with license: camping in designated spots): facilities run primitive: and Jefferson or Lake George hold the nearest services. Spinney's circus sits 30 minutes west: Tarryall is its antidote.

Common questions

Why fish Tarryall over Spinney?

Solitude: the SWA fishes empty midweek while the gold-medal lots queue. The fish run smaller: the mornings run yours.

Can you fish Tarryall Creek too?

The SWA stretches above and below the reservoir hold browns in pocket water: the reservoir-and-creek double is the spot's best day.

How is the ice fishing at Tarryall?

Long and honest at 8,900 feet: December-March jigging for the stocked rainbows with South Park's wind as the entry fee. The SWA plows nothing: pack in, fish quiet, pack out.

Is fishing good at Tarryall Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Spinney Mountain Reservoir17 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)21 miElevenmile Canyon Reservoir21 miAntero Reservoir23 miEvergreen Lake32 miDillon Reservoir35 mi
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