Mishak Lakes Fishing Guide, Saguache County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Mishak Lakes, in Saguache County. The setting is sage and rock. The water covers some 52 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Few waters listed in Saguache County are bigger. Head to Center, 13 miles away, for anything you forgot. Further out sit Monte Vista (24 miles) and Del Norte (26 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Mishak Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Saguache County cover brown trout, white sucker, brook trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and cutthroat trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Mishak Lakes the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 16°F to 65°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The lid tends to go about late March and return around late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Mishak Lakes follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Weisman Lake at 7.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Mishak Lakes if anything is unclear.