Waterdog Lake in Hinsdale County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Waterdog Lake falls in Hinsdale County, part of Colorado. The bank is 11,132 feet above sea level. At 9 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hinsdale County list. Ouray is the closest place, 22 miles off. Beyond it, Telluride at 31 miles and Mountain Village at 33 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Waterdog Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Reported across Hinsdale County: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. At Waterdog Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 56°F in July and bottoms out near 14°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Waterdog Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Thompson Lake sits 3.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Waterdog Lake for certain.