wildernet

Divide Ranger District

Quick Facts

Road Canyon Reservoir

Elevation:	9,300 Feet (2899.0 Meters)
Size:	141 Acres
Usage:	Very Heavy More than 1500 users per season

General Description

This is a scenic high mountain reservoir that has good fishing and is suitable for all but large boats and motors. There are several fisherman parking sites located along the reservoir and some of the sites have toilets and picnic tables. There is a dirt boat ramp located about halfway along the west edge of the reservoir. Ice fishing is popular during the winter months. The reservoir is for day use only; camping is not permitted along the reservoir. Road Canyon Campground is located 1.5 miles west of the dam on Forest Road 520.

Directions from Creede: Travel southwest on Colorado Highway 149 for 20.1 miles, to the intersection of Colorado Highway 149 and Forest Road #520 (Rio Grande Reservoir Road), then 4.4 miles west on Road #520. The graveled portion of the road is rough but suitable for passenger cars.

Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible: Summer through Winter (NOTE: Ice fishing is popular in the Winter months.) .

		Current Conditions & Trip Reports
		Add your own trip Report! Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others. This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report Filed By: Ray Wheless (Plano, Texas) Number of People Encountered: 11-25 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Neutral Report: The scenery is very pretty and the road to the reservoir is very good. However, the reservoir was low with lots of moss. We did not catch anything! Filed By: Samuel Hutchens (Fort Worth, TX) Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Not Recommended Report: The lake was pretty but was very mossy and very windy. It was hard to reel in on the side of lake where road is because of so much moss and scum. Heard that other side of lake was better but did not go over. Conditions: Extreme wind. Some gusts probably close to 60 m.p.h. Water was very difficult to fish in. Water Availability: none. Recommended Clothing: Jackets and sunscreen. Suggested Accessories: none. Filed By: Steve (Cedar Crest, NM) Number of People Encountered: 25-50 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: Visited on a Holiday Saturday with surprisingly few others from what we had been told. Good lunch spot! Ok for smallish boating. There were reports from many locals of VERY (2-3 lb German Browns) good fishing and we actually saw one fisherman with two trout in excess of 16'. Nothing was caught by us using spinners, worms and PowerBait. We did however see several large fish rising to feed. Would suggest for shore fishing parking at the entrance side and walking around to the far side.

Recreation Opportunities

Activity		Remarks	On Site
	Boat Launching	Dirt ramp located about halfway along west edge	Yes
	Boating	Suitable for all but large boats and motors	Yes
	Camping	Road Canyon Campground	No
	Cold Water Fishing	Good fishing	Yes
	Ice Fishing	Popular in the winter months	Yes
	Lakes & Reservoirs	Road Canyon Reservoir	Yes

Related Activities

Rio Grande Reservoir - This is a scenic high mountain reservoir with access to wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities. There are five campgrounds, picnic areas, many trails leading from the area and a jeep road with a historical site.

Rio Grande Reservoir Road 520 Scenic Drive - Beautiful mountain scenery and numerous recreation facilities are found along the Rio Grande Reservoir Road #520.

Rio Grande River - The Rio Grande is a popular rafting area. Because of shallow water and many boulders, the river is better suited for rafting than canoeing and kayaking

River Hill Campground - This campground has good screening with trees on many sites and remains full from mid-June through August. It is adjacent to Rio Grande River and Little Squaw Resort.

Road Canyon Campground - This campground usually has vacancy when other upriver campgrounds are full. The area is open, with no screening or trees, and it is not screened from Rio Grande Reservoir Road.

Thirtymile Campground - Campground and trailhead are located 31.1 miles southwest of Creede on Forest Road #520. Adjacent to Rio Grande River and Thirty Mile Resort.