Fishing at Blue Lake, Garfield County, Colorado

• Overview

  Blue Lake is a Garfield County water, in Colorado. Height above sea level is 10,456 feet. At roughly 14 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. You are 8.9 miles from Glenwood Springs. Boulder sits 114 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Blue Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Blue Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 53°F; by January the average is down near 14°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. Ice clears near late May and comes back about early November in a typical year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Blue Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Haypress Lake, 1.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Blue Lake is worth confirming on the day.