Ouray Lake in Summit County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Summit County, Utah, sits Ouray Lake. It stands 10,390 feet above sea level. Head to Kamas, 29 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Oakley at 29 miles and Francis at 29 miles. Near neighbours include: Jack and Jill Lakes 0.4 miles off, Lightning Lake a touch under 0.7 miles, Black Lake 0.7 miles off, Helen Lake a touch under 0.9 miles and Gladys Lake 1.1 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ouray Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Summit County list brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and brook trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Ouray Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 17°F to 53°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early June. From about early June to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. On Ouray Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Jack and Jill Lakes, 0.4 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Ouray Lake for certain.