Cow Lake Fishing Guide, Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  Cow Lake lies within the bounds of Gunnison County, Colorado. The bank is 11,421 feet above sea level. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is high ground by Colorado standards. For supplies, Buena Vista is 16 miles out. After that come Crested Butte at 30 miles and Salida at 30 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cow Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Gunnison County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Cow Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 52°F and January near 11°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. Climate averages put the opening at about late May and the closing near early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Cow Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Spout Lake sits 2.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Cow Lake if anything is unclear.