Fishing at Clock Lake, Garfield County, Colorado

• Overview

  Clock Lake is a Garfield County water, in Colorado. It sits in mixed forest country. The water measures roughly 9 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Supplies mean a trip to Glenwood Springs, 17 miles off. Boulder sits 110 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Clock Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Garfield County list cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Clock Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 53°F; by January the average is down near 15°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually late May. Climate averages put the opening at about late May and the closing near early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Clock Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Heart Lake Reservoir at 1.9 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Clock Lake as something to verify.