Cooper Lake in Hinsdale County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Hinsdale County, Colorado, sits Cooper Lake. This is rolling bush country. This is a pocket water of some 7 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hinsdale County list. Ouray sits 12 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, 154 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Cooper Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Hinsdale County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Cooper Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 50°F and January about 12°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Ice clears near early June and comes back about early November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Cooper Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Sloan Lake sits 6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Cooper Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.