Fishing at Manzanares Lake, Routt County, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Routt County, Manzanares Lake is a Colorado water. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Routt County. Start from Steamboat Springs, 31 miles down the road. After that come Saratoga at 36 miles and Hayden at 38 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Manzanares Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Routt County, recorded fish include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Manzanares Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 54°F and January about 20°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about mid May, the fishing comes on quickly. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Manzanares Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, West Fork Lake is 2.6 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Manzanares Lake for certain.