Lily Lake Fishing in Larimer County, Colorado

• Overview

  Lily Lake is set in Larimer County, Colorado. The water sits 8,937 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 17 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest town is Estes Park, 4.9 miles off. The big place round here is Boulder, 25 miles distant. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking. A short walk from the parking spot changes the water completely.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Across Larimer County, recorded fish include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Lily Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 56°F, while February sits near 23°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Break-up comes around early May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan around that when you fish Lily Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Sprague Lake is 3.5 miles off. None of that is settled for Lily Lake in what we hold.