Chalk Lake Fishing in Chaffee County, Colorado

• Overview

  Chalk Lake is one of the Chaffee County waters in Colorado. The ground round it is lake country bush. Small at around 2 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Chaffee County list. For supplies, Buena Vista is 11 miles out. The big place round here is Colorado Springs, 76 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Chalk Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Chaffee County: brown trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Chalk Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 54°F; by January the average is down near 17°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near mid May; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Chalk Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The mapped parking is Angel Falls Chalk Cliffs, half a mile away. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Alpine Lake sits 3.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Chalk Lake are worth checking on the day.