Lake of the Woods Fishing in Rio Blanco County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Lake of the Woods in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It covers about 18 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Few waters listed in Rio Blanco County are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Gypsum, 30 miles away. Boulder sits 105 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake of the Woods

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Survey and observation records for Rio Blanco County include flannelmouth sucker, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, bluehead sucker and mountain whitefish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lake of the Woods that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 55°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Lake of the Woods by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. 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. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Scotts Lake, 1.9 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Lake of the Woods.