Sanchez Reservoir Fishing San Luis Colorado a Short 1 hour drive north of Red River or Taos, NM.

Located a few miles south of San Luis, Colorado’s oldest town, Sanchez Reservoir offers visitors scenic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. While for many, fishing is the primary draw, this state wildlife area also offers a place to boat and camp. Watch your step for an occasional rattlesnake.

Sanchez Reservoir is among the largest in the San Luis Valley, as well as among the most productive. The southern end can be frustrating to scan; most of the birds are usually on the north end. Look for just about any regular duck species during migration, shorebirds when the water level is sufficiently low, gulls, and sometimes loons and grebes. The small riparian areas nearby could have some passerines, and the sage flats that dominate this part of the valley have Sage Sparrow and Sage Thrasher. Black-tailed jackrabbits and desert cottontails are common in the same habitat.

You can expect to find most anglers here bait casting, fly fishing, drift fishing, and still fishing for Walleye, Northern Pike, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish and Common Carp. If you’re headed out to Sanchez Reservoir, we recommend fishing near current edges, drop-offs, and merging currents.

Public access is prohibited except for fishing.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds visitors to check current hunting, fishing and land use regulations when planning to visit a State Wildlife Area. Refer to the Recreational Lands Brochure, as well as the Fishing and Hunting Regulation Brochures located on the Regulations Brochures Page. State Wildlife Area visitors can also find rules and regulations information in Chapter 9 Regulations.​

From San Luis, go 3 miles E on Hwy. 152 to Hwy. 242, then go 5.2 miles S.​

The Town of San Luis is a statutory town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Costilla County, Colorado, United States. Formerly known as San Luis de la Culebra, San Luis is the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado.