Shoestring Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  You will find Shoestring Lake in Routt County, Colorado. Height above sea level is 10,043 feet. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Routt County standards. Nearest town is Steamboat Springs, 9.8 miles off. Beyond it, Hayden at 31 miles and Kremmling at 38 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Shoestring Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Routt County include brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and mountain sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Shoestring Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 53°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually late May. On average, late May opens the water and early November closes it again. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That is the shape of the year on Shoestring Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Whale Lake is 0.2 miles off. Where Shoestring Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.