Lost Lake in Gunnison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lost Lake lies in Gunnison County, in Colorado. The surface lies 9,908 feet up. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Crested Butte lies 12 miles from the water. Further out sit Paonia (21 miles) and Gunnison (27 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lost Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Gunnison County names rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Anyone new to Lost Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 56°F; the cold one sits at 14°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Anyone fishing Lost Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Lost Lake Slough is 0.4 miles off. Signs at Lost Lake carry more weight than any list.