Neko Rig Fishing on Chatfield Reservoir
Chatfield Reservoir · Colorado · West
Chatfield Reservoir sits at roughly 5,430 feet elevation in the South Platte River drainage, impounded by the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control — which means water levels can swing dramatically, especially in late summer and fall. The fishery mixes shallow cove structure, submerged vegetation, riprap margins, and open flats, with largemouth bass as the primary draw alongside walleye, wipers, and catfish. Water clarity trends clearer than most Front Range urban lakes but can turn turbid quickly after spring runoff or heavy rain events on the watershed.
Insert a 1/16–1/8 oz nail weight into the head of a straight-tail worm and hook it in the middle with a wacky-style hook. The weighted head sinks nose-down while the tail floats up, creating a shaking, quivering posture on the bottom. Incredibly effective in clear water on pressured fish that have seen every other presentation.
Neko Rig Setup for Chatfield Reservoir
| Rod | 7' medium spinning rod, fast action |
| Reel | 2500–3000 spinning reel |
| Line | 8–10 lb fluorocarbon or 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluoro leader |
| Weight | 1/16–1/8 oz nail weight in worm nose (VMC Neko Weight) |
| Hook | #1–#2 wacky hook with O-ring through middle of worm |
Seasonal Tactics on Chatfield Reservoir
Lake: Pre-spawn largemouth push into the shallow coves and riprap-lined arms as water temps climb through the mid-50s into low 60s, typically late April through May. Slow-rolled swimbaits and 3/8 oz Strike King Hack Attack jigs along the 3–6 ft transition are productive before fish commit to beds.
Neko Rig: Post-spawn recovery fish in clear water. Natural and green pumpkin colors on rock and gravel.
Lake: Post-spawn bass scatter to submerged vegetation edges and deeper flat structure in 8–15 ft; topwater action on main-lake points fires up in low-light windows during July and August when surface temps crest 75 degrees. Evening wacky-rig sessions in the back of coves can be surprisingly consistent on pressured fish.
Neko Rig: Deep rocky points and humps. Drag slowly along bottom, let it stand between pulls.
Lake: Water-level drawdowns by the Corps in late September and October concentrate bass on shrinking structure, particularly along the old river channel edges and points closest to the dam. Shad-imitating crankbaits like the Strike King Series 3 in sexy shad excel as baitfish stack up before the cold sets in.
Neko Rig: Excellent on transition structure. Baitfish-colored worms when shad are present.
Lake: Chatfield stays open year-round and draws ice-fishing pressure in hard winters, but open-water bass fishing slows significantly below 45 degrees. Drop-shot rigs with 4-inch Roboworm Straight Tail worms in oxblood or morning dawn, fished painfully slow on deeper flats in 15–20 ft, account for most cold-season bass.
Neko Rig: Effective in cold water — very slow drag, long pauses. The standing action triggers lethargic fish.
Best Conditions
Clear water, pressured fish, rocky and hard bottom, post-spawn, finesse situations when drop shot and ned rig aren't producing
Use an O-ring to rig the hook through — it prevents the worm from tearing and gives you dozens of fish per worm instead of one or two.
More Techniques for Chatfield Reservoir
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