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The Ross Cimarron Creek is a modern click-pawl reel built around simplicity, sound, and the experience of fishing without a conventional disc drag. It is fully machined and made in Montrose, Colorado, yet costs just $249. That makes it the most affordable reel in the Ross lineup and the company's first fully machined reel priced below $300.
Click-pawl reels are not about producing the most drag, achieving the fastest possible pickup, or winning a specifications contest. They are about direct line control, mechanical simplicity, and hearing the reel come alive when a fish runs. The premium Ross Colorado has long delivered that experience exceptionally well. The Cimarron Creek offers a different version of it for $130 less, along with a customizable pawl system that gives anglers some control over both resistance and sound.
I have a soft spot for Ross Reels because of my roots in Colorado, and the Cimarron Creek captures much of what makes the brand appealing. It looks good, sounds fantastic, and feels built for uncomplicated days on small water. This is a fun reel for fun fishing, and Western anglers who enjoy blue-lining will probably love it.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fully machined and made in Montrose, Colorado
- Excellent incoming and outgoing sound
- Customizable dual-pawl system with up to ten configurations
- Modern large-arbor spool offered through a true 5/6 size
- Outstanding value at $249
Cons
- No adjustable disc drag
- Heavier than the lightest click-pawl reels
- Not intended for saltwater or consistently large, powerful fish
- Pawl changes require removing the spool and using the included tool
Who It’s For
The Cimarron Creek is for freshwater anglers who appreciate the simplicity and character of a click-pawl reel. It is particularly well suited to small-stream trout fishing, alpine lakes, backcountry cutthroat trips, and blue-lining, where anglers follow the small blue lines on a map in search of overlooked water. In those settings, the reel is primarily storing line, balancing the rod, and adding some excitement when a trout pulls hard enough to make it sing.
Ross offers the Cimarron Creek in 2/3, 4/5, and 5/6 sizes. The 2/3 is the obvious choice for short, light creek rods, while the 4/5 covers the majority of conventional trout fishing. The 5/6 we tested expands the concept to larger trout, bass, and panfish. That size is particularly interesting because relatively few click-pawl reels are offered with the spool dimensions and capacity needed for a modern 6-weight setup.
This reel is less suitable for anglers who regularly depend on a drag to control large trout, bass around heavy cover, or other powerful fish. It is also not the best option for someone building the lightest possible outfit. If you want precise drag adjustment or additional stopping power, the Ross Cimarron LT is the better choice. If you actively want the simplicity, sound, and hands-on line control of a clicker, the Cimarron Creek makes a compelling case.
Weight
Ross lists the Cimarron Creek 5/6 at 4.9 ounces, while our test reel weighed approximately 4.75 ounces. That is about half an ounce lighter than the 5/6 Cimarron LT, but it is not exceptionally light by click-pawl standards. Some ultralight clickers fall below 3 ounces.
The smaller Cimarron Creek models weigh 4.1 ounces in the 2/3 and 4.5 ounces in the 4/5. Those weights are reasonable for modern machined reels, though anglers pairing one with an especially short fiberglass or ultralight graphite rod should consider balance before assuming the smallest size will be the best fit.
On a typical 5 or 6-weight rod, the tested reel feels substantial without being excessively heavy. Ross has removed the weight of a disc-drag assembly, but it has not stripped away so much material that the reel loses the sturdy, workhorse feel associated with the Cimarron family.
Drag
The Cimarron Creek does not have an adjustable disc drag. Instead, two pawls engage the spool and provide a fixed amount of resistance. Anglers can add pressure by palming the spool rim, which is one of the traditional appeals of fishing a click-pawl reel.
Ross gives this familiar system an unusual degree of customization. Each reel arrives with two soft pawls installed, two stiff pawls, spare screws, and a small tool. The pawls can be mixed and matched in as many as ten configurations, changing both the resistance and the sound of the reel. Ross also provides downloadable files for anglers who want to 3D print their own pawls and experiment with different materials, colors, or designs.
This is not on-the-fly drag adjustment. Changing the setup requires removing the spool, loosening the small pawl screws, and installing a different combination. Most anglers will find a preferred arrangement and leave it in place. Still, it adds a level of personalization rarely found on a click-pawl reel.
Because the mechanism is open and unsealed, we would keep the Cimarron Creek in freshwater. It has enough resistance for ordinary trout fishing, but anglers pursuing fish that make long, powerful runs should choose a reel with an adjustable drag.
Sound
Sound is one of the main reasons to buy a click-pawl reel, and it may be the Cimarron Creek's best feature. The incoming click is crisp, metallic, and distinct. The outgoing sound is louder and slightly different, giving a running fish the attention it deserves.
This is not a quiet reel. Anglers who prefer a subdued setup may find it excessive, although the interchangeable pawls provide some ability to change its character. For those who believe the soundtrack is part of the click-pawl experience, Ross nailed it. This is one of the best-sounding reels in the current Ross lineup.
Spool & Frame Design
The fully machined aluminum frame and spool share their basic proportions with the disc-drag Cimarron LT. Ross lists the 5/6 with a 3.5-inch frame diameter and a 1.215-inch overall width. Our functional spool measurements were approximately 3.23 inches in maximum diameter, 0.9 inches in width, and 2.18 inches at the arbor.
Those dimensions produce approximately 7.5 inches of line pickup per turn, requiring about 160 revolutions to recover a 100-foot fly line. That is not an extreme retrieval rate, but it is solid large-arbor performance and notably more modern than the narrow, mid-arbor geometry associated with many traditional click-pawl reels.
Ross lists the 5/6 capacity at a weight-forward 5-weight line with 80 yards of backing or a 6-weight line with 60 yards. That is plenty for the trout and light warmwater fishing this reel is designed to handle. The smaller models retain the same 1.2-inch frame width while stepping down in diameter to 3.25 inches for the 4/5 and 3 inches for the 2/3.
The reel does not need a complex frame or drag enclosure, and that simplicity should leave relatively little to fail. Tool-free spool removal also makes cleaning and basic maintenance easy.
Looks & Ergonomics
The Cimarron Creek has the straightforward, utilitarian appearance of the broader Cimarron family. It is available in Matte Black, Matte Platinum, Matte Blue, and Matte Olive. The extensive porting reduces weight, provides access to the pawls, and gives the reel a modern look without abandoning its classic purpose.
The handle is similar to those used across the Ross lineup and is comfortable, appropriately sized, and easy to locate. With no drag knob, there is little else to evaluate ergonomically. The tool-free spool release works well, although it is not quite as convenient as the push-button release found on some other Ross models.
Accessing the customizable pawls through the frame is reasonably simple, but the screws are small enough that changes are better made at home than while standing in moving water. Once the preferred setup is installed, the reel is uncomplicated and intuitive.
Warranty
Value
Price: $249.00
Value is the Cimarron Creek's strongest argument. Every size costs $249, making it $130 less than the Ross Colorado and $150 less than the disc-drag Cimarron LT. Less expensive click-pawl reels exist, but very few combine this price with fully machined aluminum construction and USA manufacturing.
The tradeoff is straightforward. The Cimarron Creek omits the adjustable drag and some of the refinement found on more expensive reels. It is also not the lightest clicker available. In exchange, anglers get Ross machining, a modern large arbor, an innovative customizable pawl system, excellent sound, and domestic production at the lowest price in the brand's lineup.
For anglers who don’t need a drag, this is arguably the most compelling reel in the current Cimarron family. Paying more for the Colorado gets you a lighter and more refined click-pawl reel, while the Cimarron LT adds the versatility of an adjustable disc drag. The Cimarron Creek succeeds by delivering the core experience for considerably less money.
Conclusion
The Ross Cimarron Creek will not appeal to everyone, and that is part of its charm. It is not designed to generate huge drag pressure, disappear on an ultralight rod, or chase saltwater species. It is designed to hold line, provide direct control, sound great, and make ordinary freshwater fishing more enjoyable.
That formula works particularly well for small streams and Western blue lines. As a Colorado native, I appreciate the combination of domestic manufacturing, classic Ross character, and an approachable price. The customizable pawls add something genuinely new, but the reel's greatest strength is still the simple experience it delivers on the water.
If you need an adjustable drag, buy a different reel. If you want a well-made click-pawl that looks good, sounds even better, and costs far less than the Ross Colorado, the Cimarron Creek is an excellent choice.
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