Fishing Mirror Lake in Summit County, Colorado

• Overview

  In Colorado, Mirror Lake falls inside Summit County. It sits in pine and birch. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Vail sits 10 miles from the bank. It is 60 miles to Boulder, the nearest city. Also within reach: Upper Cataract Lake 1.1 miles, Griffith Lake lies 1.2 miles on, Cat Lake 1.2 miles, Cliff Lake lies 1.2 miles on and Eaglesmere Lakes 1.7 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mirror Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Summit County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Mirror Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 51°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. The lid tends to go about late May and return around early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Mirror Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Upper Cataract Lake, 1.1 miles out. Nothing on Mirror Lake should be assumed from this page alone.