Linkins Lake Fishing Guide, Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Linkins Lake, in Pitkin County. Around the bank it is pine and birch. Small at around 11 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. The closest town, Aspen, is 13 miles distant. It is 89 miles to Lakewood, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Linkins Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for Pitkin County names cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Linkins Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 11°F in January up to 50°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and early June brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between early June and early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Linkins Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Independence Lake is 1.6 miles off. Treat Linkins Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.