Fishing Cotton Lake in Custer County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Cotton Lake belongs to Custer County. The setting is lake country bush. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. Nearest place of any size is Cañon City, 32 miles away. Further out sit Salida (32 miles) and Lincoln Park (33 miles). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cotton Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Custer County include rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and rudd. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Cotton Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 52°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Cotton Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Teasup Lake is 1.1 miles distant. For Cotton Lake in particular, ask before you travel.