Lost Man Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lost Man Lake lies within the bounds of Pitkin County, Colorado. It stands 12,467 feet above sea level. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. The closest town, Aspen, is 14 miles away. Lakewood is the closest city, 88 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lost Man Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Lost Man Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 49°F at the top of summer and 11°F at the bottom of winter. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around early June on average, with the water closing again about late October. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. At Lost Man Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Independence Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Confirm access to Lost Man Lake locally before you travel.