Medano Lake Fishing Guide, Saguache County, Colorado

• Overview

  Medano Lake lies in Saguache County, in Colorado. It lies 11,545 feet above sea level. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. It is a small entry by Saguache County standards. You are 33 miles from Alamosa East. Further out sit Alamosa (34 miles) and Center (35 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Medano Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Saguache County cover brown trout, white sucker, brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Medano Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 17°F in January up to 54°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Medano Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Part of this sits inside or beside Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, so read the notices. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Pole Creek Lake at 5.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Medano Lake are worth checking on the day.