Alta Lakes Fishing near Mountain Village, Colorado

• Overview

  Alta Lakes is listed under San Miguel County, Colorado. It stands 11,342 feet above sea level. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Compared with other Colorado water on our list, it sits high. Mountain Village lies 3.2 miles from the water. Telluride is 3.9 miles away, with Ouray at 13 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Alta Lakes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in San Miguel County include rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Alta Lakes before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 17°F in January to roughly 55°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan around that when you fish Alta Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There are toilets half a mile off. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Middle Alta Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Alta Lakes as something to verify.