Red Lake in Conejos County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Red Lake is one of the Conejos County waters in Colorado. This is lake country bush country. This is a pocket water of some 19 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. The nearest town is Chama, 16 miles away. After that come Pagosa Springs at 31 miles and Dulce at 31 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Red Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Conejos County names white sucker, brown trout, green sunfish, black-spotted cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Red Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 53°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late May. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Red Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Waterdog Lake is 2.2 miles distant. Treat access at Red Lake as something to verify.