Denny Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Montezuma County, Colorado, you have Denny Lake. Elevation runs to 6,115 feet. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from Cortez, 2 miles down the road. Towaoc is 14 miles away, with Mancos at 14 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple. Most of the shoreline can be walked in a session.

• Where to Fish on Denny Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Montezuma County include bluehead sucker, brook trout, bluegill, walleye and channel catfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Denny Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 27°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Denny Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking within 110 yards means no long carry with tackle. A pier 120 yards from here gives a platform over deeper water. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Robert Leighton Reservoir, 1.1 miles away. Where Denny Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.