Dry Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Dry Lake stands in Hinsdale County, Colorado. It sits in mixed forest country. The water covers some 46 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 1.2 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Nearest place of any size is Ouray, 34 miles away. Colorado Springs is the closest city, 132 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Dry Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Hinsdale County: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Dry Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 54°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Dry Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Devils Lake, 9.1 miles away. For Dry Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.