Fishing Cherry Lake in Summit County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Summit County, Colorado. It lies 10,725 feet above sea level. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Summit County list. The closest town, Basalt, is 9.1 miles distant. The big place round here is Boulder, 96 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cherry Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Summit County list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Cherry Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 56°F for July and 17°F for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Expect Cherry Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Erickson Lake, 0.6 miles out. Treat access at Cherry Lake as something to verify.