Fishing at Chalk Mountain Reservoir, Lake County, Colorado

• Overview

  Chalk Mountain Reservoir is one of the Lake County waters in Colorado. It stands 10,948 feet above sea level. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Leadville North, 11 miles away. The big place round here is Lakewood, 64 miles distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Chalk Mountain Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Lake County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Chalk Mountain Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 51°F and January reads 13°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running late May to early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Chalk Mountain Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Robinson Lake is 0.2 miles distant. Check the position on Chalk Mountain Reservoir before loading the car.