Chapman Lake Fishing in Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Pitkin County in Colorado is where Chapman Lake sits. The water sits 9,797 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 21 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is among the larger waters listed here for Pitkin County. You are 12 miles from Aspen. The big place round here is Lakewood, 87 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Chapman Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Pitkin County cover cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Chapman Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 54°F and January about 15°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Chapman Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Nast E Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Chapman Lake should be assumed from this page alone.