Lyle Lake in Pitkin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lyle Lake sits in Pitkin County, out in Colorado. The ground round it is mixed forest. At roughly 18 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by Colorado standards. Leadville North lies 12 miles from the water. For a city, Lakewood is 81 miles off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lyle Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Pitkin County: cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Lyle Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 14°F in January up to 52°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late May. The lid tends to go about late May and return around early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan around that when you fish Lyle Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Mormon Lake is 1.3 miles off. For Lyle Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.