Belmear Lake in Dolores County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Belmear Lake is one of the Dolores County listings for Colorado. The ground around here is pine and birch. Small at around 24 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On our Dolores County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Mountain Village, is 28 miles distant. Colorado Springs is the closest city, 204 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Belmear Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Dolores County: black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Belmear Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 62°F for July and 22°F for January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. From about mid April to around early December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Belmear Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Old Dunham Reservoir, 0.9 miles out. Ask locally about Belmear Lake if anything is unclear.