Lewis Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lewis Lake lies in San Juan County, in Colorado. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. For supplies, Telluride is 4.8 miles out. Then Mountain Village, 5.9 miles, and Ouray, 12 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Lewis Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in San Juan County include black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Lewis Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 51°F at the top of summer and 13°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Once it clears, about early June, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice clears near early June and comes back about early November in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Lewis Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Blue Lake is 1.2 miles distant. Nothing on Lewis Lake should be assumed from this page alone.