Lonesome Lake Fishing in Grand County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Lonesome Lake falls inside Grand County. Beyond the shoreline you have lake country bush. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is high ground by Colorado standards. Estes Park sits 11 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Boulder, 34 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lonesome Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. 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. The near bank of Lonesome Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 51°F and January near 18°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. Climate averages put the opening at about late May and the closing near early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Lonesome Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Hayden Lake is 0.5 miles off. Ask locally about Lonesome Lake if anything is unclear.