Slide Lake Fishing in Hinsdale County, Colorado

• Overview

  Slide Lake falls in Hinsdale County, part of Colorado. Around the bank it is lake country bush. The water measures roughly 2 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Hinsdale County standards. Head to Ouray, 17 miles away, for anything you forgot. Telluride is 27 miles and Mountain Village 29 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Slide Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Hinsdale County names brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Slide Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 51°F and January about 13°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late May. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly mid November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Slide Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Crystal Lake at 6.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Slide Lake carry more weight than any list.