Cottonwood Lake Number One, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Cottonwood Lake Number One is one of the Delta County listings for Colorado. It lies 10,079 feet above sea level. The water covers some 96 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. On our Delta County list it sits near the top for size. Cedaredge sits 12 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Beyond it, Orchard City at 17 miles and Palisade at 21 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake Number One

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Delta County include rainbow trout, white sucker, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and brown trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Cottonwood Lake Number One a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 56°F, while January sits near 17°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. The season on Cottonwood Lake Number One follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Fred Decamp Reservoir sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Cottonwood Lake Number One are worth checking on the day.