Diemer Lake in Pitkin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Diemer Lake lies in Pitkin County, Colorado. It lies 9,551 feet above sea level. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Aspen lies 15 miles from the water. Leadville North is 17 miles away, with Leadville at 18 miles. This one is safely inside the county line. Ground round the water is mixed, open in parts and thick in others.

• Where to Fish on Diemer Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Pitkin County list cutthroat trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Diemer Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 16°F in January up to 54°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid May. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly mid November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Diemer Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Himmelland Reservoir is 1.3 miles distant. Where Diemer Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.