Stell Lake Fishing in Delta County, Colorado

• Overview

  Delta County in Colorado is where Stell Lake sits. Height above sea level is 10,272 feet. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Delta County. Cedaredge is the closest town at 11 miles. The big place round here is Boulder, 155 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Stell Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Delta County records list rainbow trout, white sucker, flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and brown trout among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Stell Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 56°F; by January the average is down near 17°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After mid May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Stell Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Greenwood Reservoir is 0.3 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Stell Lake.