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24-acre lake near Clear Creek County. The lake tops out around 74 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Chicago Lake Lower draws 23 acres inside 0.8 miles of shoreline. At index 1.2 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Roughly 11% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 0.3 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Clear Creek County. For a second option, Murray Lake lies 7 mi west.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 35 ft game here, winter a 10 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shoreline break — drop-off, 33 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (33 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (33 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Chicago Lake Lower carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 63 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Colorado waters are set by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Chicago Lake Lower specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
Chicago Lake Lower is about 74 ft (23 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target cutthroat trout on Chicago Lake Lower.
Shoreline break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 33 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Chicago Lake Lower is regulated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Colorado regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Murray Lake 7 mi · Crater Lake #1, Upper 20 mi · Bob Lake 23 mi · Woodland Lake 23 mi · Barker Reservoir 25 mi · Diamond Lake Upper 26 mi · Arvada Reservoir 27 mi · Gross Reservoir 27 mi · Strontia Springs Res 30 mi · South Platte River 30 mi · Chatfield Reservoir 31 mi · Meadow Creek Reservoir 31 mi
See how Chicago Lake Lower stacks up: best cutthroat trout lakes in Colorado
Browse all Colorado fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.