Summit Lake in Clear Creek County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Summit Lake is listed under Clear Creek County, Colorado. It lies 12,825 feet above sea level. It measures about 34 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Size puts it in the front rank of our Clear Creek County list. Georgetown lies 8 miles from the water. Idaho Springs is 12 miles away, with Upper Bear Creek at 12 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Summit Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Clear Creek County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Summit Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 50°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice clears near late May and comes back about early November in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Summit Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The mapped parking is Summit Lake Lot, half a mile away. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Abyss Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Summit Lake are worth checking on the day.