Butter Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Butter Lake is a Routt County water, Colorado side. The surface lies 7,346 feet up. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Routt County standards. Head to Hayden, 33 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Fort Collins, 118 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Butter Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Routt County include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Butter Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 62°F and January about 20°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Butter Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. 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. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lower Cogdill Lake at 2.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Butter Lake if anything is unclear.