Fishing at Bailey Lakes, Eagle County, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Eagle County, Colorado, this is Bailey Lakes. It sits at 10,797 feet above sea level. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Gypsum, 25 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Eagle at 27 miles and Glenwood Springs at 33 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bailey Lakes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Eagle County list brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Bailey Lakes gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 52°F and January at 15°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Bailey Lakes follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Edge Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Bailey Lakes are worth checking on the day.