Upper Camp Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Upper Camp Lake is one of the Larimer County waters in Colorado. This is rolling bush country. The water covers some 39 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Estes Park at 30 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 45 miles to Fort Collins, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Upper Camp Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Larimer County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Upper Camp Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 51°F; by February the average is down near 19°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Upper Camp Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Big Rainbow Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Upper Camp Lake.