Fishing Hampton Lake in Ouray County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Hampton Lake in Ouray County, Colorado. It sits in pine and birch country. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ouray is the closest town at 17 miles. Montrose follows at 22 miles, then Telluride at 26 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Hampton Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Ouray County list rainbow trout, brown trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Hampton Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 17°F in January to roughly 58°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about early May to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Hampton Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Fish Creek Reservoir Number 2 is 0.4 miles off. Confirm access to Hampton Lake locally before you travel.