Located near Hotchkiss, Colorado, Crawford State Park is a cool little stop for outdoor enthusiasts. Situated around Crawford Reservoir, the park offers a serene retreat with opportunities for camping, boating, fishing, and hiking. Nature lovers can explore the park’s scenic trails, immersing themselves in the surrounding forests and meadows. Anglers can cast their lines into the reservoir’s pristine waters, where they can catch rainbow trout or large grass carp.
Considering we were in the area, we decided to stop in for a day visit and scope out the campground for future camping prospects.
Arriving at Crawford State Park
Of course we stopped at the entrance to read the rules and pay the day fee. Crawford State Park has a 10 dollars per day fee per vehicle. We knew we would be hanging out here for the day so the fee was worth it, plus we never really feel that guilty paying park fees.
Upon entry to the park, you will notice there is not very much shade. It was extremely hot on the day of our visit, so the lack of shade was noticeable. But the park is pretty much in the desert, so we kind of expected it.
Enjoying Crawford Reservoir
Considering it was such a hot day, I did not have any luck catching trout at Crawford Reservoir when we visited. The water level at the reservoir was quite low and since it was so hot, I did not venture very far to try and find the fish.
At one point, I saw a the outline of a large rock beneath the water, so I cast my line near the rock a couple of times to see if there were any trout hiding nearby. Upon my second cast, the rock just slowly drifted away. This is when I began to realize that there were some very large carp lurking in the reservoir. As I began to observe more closely I could see fish poking up out of the water. At one point, I could cast in a particular area and every cast a couple dozen carp would move just slightly and leave ripples in the water.
I was not carp fishing and I had absolutely no gear to actually pull in one of these monsters, but some people do get a thrill out of catching giant carp. If this is something of interest, Crawford Reservoir really does have a population of giants!
Final Thoughts on Visiting Crawford State Park and Crawford Reservoir
Crawford State Park is a great little spot on Colorado’s western slope of the Rocky Mountains. A vast desert landscape with a nice sized lake full of fish. I am sure in the Spring or Fall when the weather is cooler and water level is higher, the fishing is probably pretty good. I imagine if you are a carp fisherman this place is probably a gold mine. I have really never seen monster carp in person quite like I did at Crawford Reservoir.