Fifth Lake Fishing near Estes Park, Colorado

• Overview

  Fifth Lake belongs to Boulder County, Colorado. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Boulder County standards. 14 miles away sits Estes Park, the nearest town. Granby is 16 miles and Nederland 20 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Fifth Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Boulder County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Take Fifth Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 51°F and January near 16°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near late May; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near early November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Fifth Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Fourth Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Fifth Lake are worth checking on the day.