Zimmerman Lake Fishing near Estes Park, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Jackson County, Zimmerman Lake is a Colorado water. The bank is 10,512 feet above sea level. It covers about 10 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Estes Park, is 21 miles away. Further out sit Granby (32 miles) and Lyons (38 miles). No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Zimmerman Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Jackson County: brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and Arctic grayling. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Zimmerman Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and July at about 51°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late May. The water is typically free of ice between late May and early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Zimmerman Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Joe Wright Reservoir at 0.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Zimmerman Lake if anything is unclear.