Fishing Lily Lake in Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  Look for Lily Lake in Gunnison County, Colorado. It sits in rolling bush country. About 9 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Crested Butte is the closest place, 7.2 miles off. The big place round here is Colorado Springs, 124 miles distant. Near neighbours: Meridian Lake Reservoir just 2.4 miles, Copley Lake roughly 2.6 miles, Green Lake just 3.9 miles, Upper Peeler Lakes roughly 4.2 miles and Lower Peeler Lake just 4.5 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lily 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. Reported across Gunnison County: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Lily Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 54°F and January near 13°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Lily Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Meridian Lake Reservoir is 2.4 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Lily Lake.