Ned Rig Fishing on Horsetooth Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir · Colorado · West
Horsetooth Reservoir sits in a narrow hogback canyon along the Front Range foothills, stretching roughly six miles north to south but rarely exceeding a half-mile in width. The fishery is defined by steep rocky banks, submerged boulder fields, and clear water that routinely hits 15–20 feet of visibility — conditions that heavily favor smallmouth bass over largemouth, though both species are present. Water levels fluctuate significantly with irrigation drawdowns, which reshapes the productive depth windows throughout the season.
Ned Rig pairs a 3–4" ElaZtech-style floating plastic (TRD, Finesse TRD, or similar) on a 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom head jig. The bait's buoyancy causes it to stand upright on the bottom, creating a subtle action that triggers bites when nothing else will. Exceptional on hard bottom, gravel, and rock.
Ned Rig Setup for Horsetooth Reservoir
| Rod | 6'10"–7'2" medium-light spinning rod, moderate-fast action |
| Reel | 2500 size spinning reel |
| Line | 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluorocarbon leader |
| Weight | 1/15–1/6 oz mushroom jig head (Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ or similar) |
| Hook | Size 1 or 1/0 wide gap, built into jig head |
Seasonal Tactics on Horsetooth Reservoir
Lake: Smallmouth begin moving onto rocky points and shallow boulder flats in the 8–15 ft range as water temps climb through the 52–62°F window, typically mid-April through May. Pre-spawn fish stack on the first significant structure transitions below the canyon walls — tubes and drop shots on the 10–18 ft breaks are the standard play.
Ned Rig: Deadly on pre-spawn fish holding on gravel and pea-gravel flats in 4–12 feet.
Lake: Thermocline development pushes baitfish and bass to the 20–35 ft zone by July; ledge-oriented smallmouth school on submerged rock humps and channel edges. Topwater and finesse swimbaits produce early morning, but mid-day fish require a drop shot or Ned rig worked deliberately in deeper, oxygenated water.
Ned Rig: Work deeper rock piles and main lake points. Drag slowly, let it stand. Green pumpkin and watermelon dominate.
Lake: Cooling temps in September and October pull bass shallower onto points and riprap as shad and perch concentrate near structure. This is the most forgiving window to fish Horsetooth — fish are aggressive and more predictably positioned between 10 and 25 ft on main-lake points.
Ned Rig: One of the best techniques as fish get finicky before winter. Match shad colors on sandy/gravel bottom.
Lake: Water temperatures drop into the upper 30s to low 40s by December, and most bass suspend or hug deep rocky structure in 30–50 ft. A finesse drop shot with a small profile bait fished painfully slowly is about the only consistent producer; most recreational pressure evaporates, leaving the reservoir to a handful of committed cold-water anglers.
Ned Rig: Best cold-water finesse technique after drop shot. Extremely slow drag on hard bottom near deep structure.
Best Conditions
Clear water, hard and rocky bottoms, post-cold-front, heavily pressured fish, any season except peak summer spawn
Use Z-Man ElaZtech plastics exclusively — they float and are nearly indestructible. Regular soft plastics sink and kill the technique.
More Techniques for Horsetooth Reservoir
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