Fishing Bear Lake in Lake County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Lake County, Colorado. This is mixed forest country. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 6.6 miles from Leadville North. The nearest city of size is Lakewood, 76 miles away. Within a short drive: Saint Kevin Lake 1.2 miles, 2.5 miles away is Turquoise Lake, Deckers Lake 2.6 miles, 3.2 miles away is Lonesome Lake and Timberline Lake 3.2 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Bear Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 53°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Bear Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Saint Kevin Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Bear Lake before loading the car.