Skillet Lake

Skillet Lake is a lake in Garfield County, Colorado, and covers about 6.4 acres.

Skillet Lake is small water, so a careful lap around the bank can show most of the useful cover.

Fish and Baits

At Skillet Lake, the fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch.

At Skillet Lake, begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water.

How to Read the Water

At Skillet Lake, do not let the deepest number control the whole day; nearby cover, firm bottom, and food usually matter more than the deepest hole by itself.

Season by Season

To keep things simple on this small, open lake in Garfield County, early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again.

A Simple Tackle Plan

At Skillet Lake, a medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle.

At Skillet Lake, record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.