Fishing Hermit Lakes in San Juan County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Hermit Lakes in San Juan County, Colorado. The surroundings are mixed forest. It runs to roughly 64 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 2.0 miles in total. On our San Juan County list it sits near the top for size. Ouray at 28 miles is the nearest place to stop. Pueblo sits 147 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Hermit Lakes

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Records held for San Juan County cover black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Hermit Lakes responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 54°F and January reads 13°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Hermit Lakes that shapes the whole year.

• 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. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Hermit Number 1 Reservoir, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Hermit Lakes before loading the car.