Long Lake Fishing Guide, Boulder County, Colorado

• Overview

  The Boulder County end of Colorado holds Long Lake. It stands 10,538 feet above sea level. Around 41 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Bank access stretches around 1.3 miles in total. On our Boulder County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Nederland, is 8.8 miles distant. Fraser is 15 miles and Coal Creek 16 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, brown trout, bluegill and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Long Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 50°F, with January the cold end at about 17°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late May. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Brainard Lake is 1 mile distant. Nothing here settles the position at Long Lake for certain.