Fishing at Mirror Lake, Larimer County, Colorado

• Overview

  Look for Mirror Lake in the Larimer County part of Colorado. The surface lies 11,050 feet up. It covers about 18 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 14 miles from Estes Park. It is 32 miles to Fort Collins, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mirror Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Larimer County, recorded fish include black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker, rainbow trout and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Mirror Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 50°F, the coldest about 18°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late May and comes back about early November in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Mirror Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Cirque Lake, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing on Mirror Lake should be assumed from this page alone.