Gunnison Lake Fishing in Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Gunnison Lake falls inside Gunnison County. Height above sea level is 11,227 feet. At roughly 11 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The nearest town is Paonia, 13 miles away. For a city, Colorado Springs is 137 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gunnison Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Gunnison County records list rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Gunnison Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 56°F; the cold one sits at 15°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Gunnison Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Beaver Reservoir, 4.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Gunnison Lake carry more weight than any list.