Fishing at Dead Lake, Teller County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Dead Lake belongs to Teller County. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. On size it sits at the modest end of our Teller County list. Head to Manitou Springs, 7 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, an 11 miles drive. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Dead Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. 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. Survey and observation records for Teller County include brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Take Dead Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 17°F in January to roughly 51°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about early November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Dead Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Mason Reservoir at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. For Dead Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.