Ute Lake Fishing Guide, Garfield County, Colorado

• Overview

  Garfield County in Colorado is where Ute Lake sits. This is mixed forest country. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest town is Glenwood Springs, 8 miles away. It is 112 miles to Boulder, the nearest city. Nearby alternatives: Yellow Lake lies 1.3 miles on, Bowen Lake 1.4 miles away, Dry Lake lies 1.5 miles on, Blue Lake 1.9 miles away and Haypress Lake lies 2.1 miles on. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Ute Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Garfield County names cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Ute Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 56°F, while January sits near 17°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid May. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Ute Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Yellow Lake is 1.3 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Ute Lake for certain.