Kite Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Kite Lake is one of the Park County listings for Colorado. It lies 12,031 feet above sea level. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. On size it sits at the modest end of our Park County list. For a base, Leadville sits 10 miles out. It is 62 miles to Lakewood, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Kite Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Park County, recorded fish include brown trout, rainbow trout and longnose sucker. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Kite Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 15°F in January and 50°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. In an average year the thaw lands around early June and the freeze near early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Kite Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows parking within 90 yards. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lake Emma at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Kite Lake.