Grizzly Lake Fishing Guide, Garfield County, Colorado

• Overview

  Look for Grizzly Lake in the Garfield County part of Colorado. The bank gives way to mixed forest. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Glenwood Springs at 11 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 111 miles to Boulder, the nearest city. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Grizzly Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Garfield County: cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Grizzly Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 53°F and January about 14°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late May. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Grizzly Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. 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. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Duck Lake sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Grizzly Lake.