Jumper Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Jumper Lake is set in Mineral County, Colorado. It lies 11,617 feet above sea level. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. For supplies, Pagosa Springs is 28 miles out. Ouray follows at 39 miles, then Bayfield at 41 miles. Within a short drive: Baldy Lake at 1.6 miles, Big Ruby Reservoir a shade over 2.6 miles, Fuchs Reservoir at 2.8 miles, Trout Lake a shade over 3.1 miles and Wee Ruby Reservoir at 3.3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Jumper Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Mineral County include brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Jumper Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 12°F in January and 52°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. Ice clears near late May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Anyone fishing Jumper Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Baldy Lake at 1.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Jumper Lake for certain.