Colorado Parks and Wildlife was forced to rescind an emergency fish salvage ordered for Two Buttes Reservoir State Wildlife Area in Baca County after the completely dried up, removing the opportunities for fishing.
According to the agency, Two Buttes Reservoir relies on precipitation events to create flow in Two Buttes Creek. This is an intermittent stream, typically dry but carrying significant runoff when storms come across southeast Colorado filling and sustaining the body of water.
Longer term droughts can cause the lake levels to decline significantly and occasionally completely dry up, as it the current state. The conditions show the challenges these intermittent prairie reservoirs often face during extended dry periods in the state’s southeast region.
There are a lot of bodies of water in the state that rely on episodic storm runoff rather than consistent inflows, varying water levels and fishing opportunities dramatically from year to year. While the conditions are rough now, the reservoir is known to produce quality fishing when the water does return.
“Two Buttes Reservoir is an excellent fishery, and when stocked, fish grow quickly in its highly productive waters. When full, Two Buttes Reservoir can become one of the best warmwater fisheries in Colorado.” – Jim Ramsay, CPW aquatic biologist.
The reservoir, located around 15 miles north of Springfield and approximately 31 miles south of Lamar east of Highway 287, tends to produce strong populations of largemouth bass, wipers, saugeye, channel catfish, bluegill and crappie.
