Fishing King Lake in Grand County, Colorado

• Overview

  This water sits in Grand County, Colorado. The surface lies 11,444 feet up. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. Fraser sits 6.9 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Boulder sits 22 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on King Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Grand County: black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. King Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 53°F, with January the cold end at about 18°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid May. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. King Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Corona Lake is 0.6 miles off. Rules at King Lake are worth checking on the day.