Fishing at Meridian Lake Reservoir, Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  Meridian Lake Reservoir is a Gunnison County water, in Colorado. The water sits 10,335 feet up. Around 32 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The bank runs about 1.2 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It ranks high for size among our Gunnison County listings. The nearest town is Crested Butte, 6.3 miles away. Then Snowmass Village, 25 miles, and Gunnison, 25 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Meridian Lake Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Open biodiversity records for Gunnison County list rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Meridian Lake Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 13°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about mid May to mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Meridian Lake Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Copley Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Meridian Lake Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.