Hazel Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Hazel Lake lies in La Plata County, Colorado. It stands 12,434 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 24 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. The nearest place of any size is Bayfield, 26 miles away. The nearest city of size is Pueblo, 168 miles away. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Hazel Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, bluehead sucker and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Hazel Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 50°F, while January sits near 14°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Hazel Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Columbine Lake is 0.7 miles distant. What applies at Hazel Lake may have changed since it was mapped.