I am from Texas and have good experience with freshwater lakes and the fish habitat there but our family is in a cabin in Colorado on a high mountain lake and ourselves and the neighbors want to have the best fish management possible. Trout management is new to me so I'm looking for someone in the western part of the state for assistance and some great help online from ya'll. Our lake is 15 acres and 400+ feet deep. We are close to Crested Butte. The neighbors used to catch more fish but lately dont even get bites. We are considering stocking it with rainbows or browns, but I don't know if like Bass, we need to stock it with feeder fish and/or need better structure, fish feeders to help get going, does lake need shocking for observation?, etc. Any help would be much appreciated!

Love me some Crested Butte and Lake City!

So what has changed since the days that fishing was good?

Water chemistry needs to be checked. Further, at 400 feet deep, you have a lot of water. There are things you will need to do that the rest of us don't.

How is your DO? Does your pond freeze over during winter? Have you check the chemistry as the ice thins? What kind of fish were there in the past? What is the temp of your water year round? Is there any thermal heat coming up in your pond? Lots to consider.

Is there electricity available for aeration?

400 feet deep?

WOW thats crazy..... I don't know what to say.

Don,
You should have said " Your gonna need a bigger compressor."

400 feet? What is it, an old mine dammed up? I wonder how much of that water column is usable for fish. I would assume it is pretty hard to get turnover on a deep lake without a ton of surface area for the wind to act on.

I bet it is a sight to behold!

Yes I would like to see a few pics of this lake!! You got Lockness living in there or something.... Wow I'm with Don not sure what to say about 400 feet deep.... I mean after 100 feet who cares..... lol Can trout live in 2 or 300 feet or water?? What's the average depth? 150? That just blows my mind considering my pond is 9 feet... LMAO!!!

I mean BOOM head just exploded... *(&*(*(&&%%%&**^^$^^&*&(*&

RC

"Lake trout depend on cold and oxygen-rich waters.

In the summer they live at depths of 65-200 feet deep to escape the heat."

http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/tips/post/lake-trout

WOW I can't imagine 400 feet! I assume only trout have been caught in that lake. I would find out what the forage base is for a start. Then try to improve the lake for the forage fish and the rest will return assuming there are still native trout in the lake. It's going to be a whole new ball game for sure. I would try micro fishing and see if you can catch any bait fish to learn whats in the lake.

I would pass on the idea of draining it down and starting over LOL!

It might be worth 50-100 Hybrid Striped Bass, at some point in the future.

Obviously, forage fish is an issue to be worked out.

Maybe a few bonus sturgeon???

waiting on feedback from the original poster. I'm wondering if the 400 is a typo and he/she meant 40+ feet? If surface area is only 15 acres, is it possible to be 400 feet deep?

Contact the county agent. It's very possible that he has experience in the management of that type of body of water.

If it's 40' or 400', it still spells a lot of 'unused' water by our conventional thinking.

Gives new meaning to dropping something valuable overboard.

I lost my wedding ring off the dock we had at Lake Fork. Had a scuba friend come out the next week to try and find it with no luck. I guess that was a sign of things to come.