Fishing Lake Otonawanda in Ouray County, Colorado

• Overview

  The Ouray County end of Colorado holds Lake Otonawanda. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. With some 27 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Few waters listed in Ouray County are bigger. The nearest town is Ouray, 8.3 miles away. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, 168 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Otonawanda

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Ouray County include rainbow trout, brown trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Lake Otonawanda where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 64°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Lake Otonawanda.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, West Lake is 0.9 miles off. None of that is settled for Lake Otonawanda in what we hold.