Fishing at Lake Windemere, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Lake Windemere falls in Routt County, part of Colorado. The water sits 6,696 feet up. It runs to roughly 37 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Size puts it in the front rank of our Routt County list. Nearest place of any size is Steamboat Springs, 8.4 miles away. Boulder is the closest city, 97 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Windemere

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Routt County records list brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Lake Windemere for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 16°F to 62°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lake Windemere.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. 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. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Trull Creek Reservoir Number 1, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Lake Windemere before loading the car.