Bench Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Bench Lake is a Larimer County water, Colorado side. The surface lies 10,955 feet up. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Larimer County standards. 29 miles away sits Estes Park, the nearest town. Further out sit Granby (40 miles) and Laporte (42 miles). Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Bench Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Larimer County records list black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Bench Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 51°F; by January the average is down near 18°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. Open water usually runs from late May until about early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Bench Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Rockhole Lake is 0.5 miles off. For Bench Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.