Fishing at Butte Lake, Montrose County, Colorado

• Overview

  The Montrose County entry here is Butte Lake, in Colorado. The water sits 9,587 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The nearest place of any size is Montrose, 22 miles away. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, 149 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Butte Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Montrose County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, flannelmouth sucker and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Butte Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 17°F to 58°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early May. From about early May to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Butte Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Mack Lake, 2.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Butte Lake before loading the car.