Fishing at Doughnut Lake, Grand County, Colorado

• Overview

  Doughnut Lake sits within Grand County in Colorado. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. About 6 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. Some 12 miles away sits Estes Park, the nearest settlement. Granby is 22 miles away, with Lyons at 28 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Doughnut Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Grand County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat Doughnut Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 50°F in July and bottoms out near 17°F in January. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late May. The open-water window runs from around late May to about early November in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Expect Doughnut Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Rocky Mountain National Park takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Arrowhead Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Doughnut Lake may have changed since it was mapped.