Fishing American Lake in San Juan County, Colorado

• Overview

  American Lake lies in San Juan County, Colorado. This is mixed forest country. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. For a base, Ouray sits 6.1 miles out. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, 159 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on American Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in San Juan County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Treat American Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 51°F and January at 12°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early June. The open-water window runs from around early June to about early November in an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on American Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Denver Lake, 3.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish American Lake.