Middle Rainbow Lake in Routt County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Colorado, Middle Rainbow Lake falls inside Routt County. It sits at 9,846 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest place of any size is Steamboat Springs, 16 miles away. Fort Collins is the closest city, 81 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Middle Rainbow Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Routt County cover brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Middle Rainbow Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 19°F at the bottom of winter. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. The water is typically free of ice between mid May and mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Middle Rainbow Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Lower Rainbow Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Middle Rainbow Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.