Fishing at Silver Dollar Lake, Summit County, Colorado

• Overview

  The Summit County end of Colorado holds Silver Dollar Lake. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. Small at around 17 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. For a base, Georgetown sits 7.9 miles out. For a city, Lakewood is 37 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Silver Dollar Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Summit County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Silver Dollar Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 49°F on average, January about 14°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early June. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Silver Dollar Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Murry Reservoir at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. For Silver Dollar Lake in particular, ask before you travel.