Fishing Cony Lake in Boulder County, Colorado

• Overview

  The Boulder County end of Colorado holds Cony Lake. The bank is 11,509 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is high ground by Colorado standards. 16 miles away sits Estes Park, the nearest town. Further out sit Granby (16 miles) and Nederland (17 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Cony Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Boulder County: black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Cony Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 51°F and February at 18°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late May. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Cony Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Junco Lake, 0.8 miles away. Signs at Cony Lake carry more weight than any list.