Fishing Grouse Lake in Eagle County, Colorado

• Overview

  Grouse Lake falls in Eagle County, part of Colorado. This is mixed forest ground. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Eagle County list. Head to Minturn, 3.9 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Boulder is 72 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Grouse Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Eagle County include brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Anyone new to Grouse Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 54°F and January near 17°F on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid May. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Grouse Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Waterdog Lake, 1.4 miles away. For Grouse Lake in particular, ask before you travel.