Independence Lake in Pitkin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Independence Lake is set in Pitkin County, Colorado. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 8 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. Head to Aspen, 14 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Lakewood is 88 miles off. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Independence Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Pitkin County, recorded fish include cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The near bank of Independence Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 49°F and January about 11°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at late October. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Independence Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Lost Man Lake is 0.7 miles distant. What applies at Independence Lake may have changed since it was mapped.