Acascosa Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Acascosa Lake stands in Conejos County, Colorado. The country here is lake country bush. At roughly 7 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The nearest place of any size is Chama, 27 miles away. Monte Vista follows at 27 miles, then Del Norte at 29 miles. Other water within reach: Empedrado Lake at about 1.8 miles, Lost Lake (2.5 miles), Bear Lake at about 3.4 miles, Beaver Lake (3.4 miles) and Rock Lake at about 3.8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Acascosa Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Conejos County list white sucker, brown trout, green sunfish and black-spotted cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Acascosa Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 52°F and January reads 16°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in mid May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Acascosa Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Empedrado Lake at 1.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Acascosa Lake before loading the car.