Big Pine Lake in Eagle County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Colorado, Big Pine Lake falls inside Eagle County. Land around it is mixed forest. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. Avon sits 10 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Further out sit Minturn (10 miles) and Edwards (11 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Big Pine Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Eagle County include brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Big Pine Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 50°F and January near 14°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early June. Break-up sits around early June on average, with the water closing again about early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Big Pine Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Gold Dust Lakes, 0.4 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Big Pine Lake.