Fishing at East Delaney Lake, Jackson County, Colorado

• Overview

  East Delaney Lake sits within Jackson County in Colorado. It sits at 8,120 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 66 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. About 1.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Few waters listed in Jackson County are bigger. For a base, Steamboat Springs sits 25 miles out. Further out sit Hayden (45 miles) and Kremmling (45 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on East Delaney Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Jackson County: brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On East Delaney Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 58°F, while January sits near 18°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on East Delaney Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, South Delaney Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at East Delaney Lake before loading the car.