Fishing Beaver Lake in Mesa County, Colorado

• Overview

  Beaver Lake is a Mesa County water, Colorado side. Height above sea level is 9,843 feet. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Cedaredge, 13 miles off. Palisade is 15 miles away, with Orchard City at 16 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Beaver Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Mesa County records list flannelmouth sucker, bluehead sucker and green sunfish among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Beaver Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 59°F and January at 18°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about late November in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Beaver Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. You can leave the car about 130 yards from the water. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Glacier Springs at 0.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Beaver Lake.