Fishing at Harris Lake, Archuleta County, Colorado

• Overview

  Harris Lake is listed under Archuleta County, Colorado. The setting is mixed forest on every side. Surface area is around 28 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Pagosa Springs at 14 miles is the nearest place to stop. It is 142 miles to Pueblo, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Harris Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Archuleta County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Harris Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 57°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. From about early May to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Harris Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It is recorded as intermittent, which means the basin empties in dry spells. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Buckles Lake, 0.9 miles out. Signs at Harris Lake carry more weight than any list.