Fishing at Big Creek Lakes, Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Big Creek Lakes, in Jackson County. The land about it is pine and birch. At 350 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. A shoreline of some 3.0 miles keeps the choices simple. Size puts it in the front rank of our Jackson County list. Steamboat Springs lies 32 miles from the water. Beyond it, Saratoga at 38 miles and Hayden at 45 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Creek Lakes

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Jackson County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and Arctic grayling. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Big Creek Lakes decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid May. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Big Creek Lakes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lake Eileen, 3.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Big Creek Lakes if anything is unclear.