Horseshoe Lake in Custer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Horseshoe Lake stands in Custer County, Colorado. This is mixed forest country. About 8 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is high ground by Colorado standards. You are 33 miles from Cañon City. The nearest city of size is Pueblo, 58 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Custer County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Horseshoe Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 53°F at the top of summer and 16°F at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Horseshoe Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Eureka Lake, 0.8 miles away. For Horseshoe Lake in particular, ask before you travel.