Muskrat Lake Fishing Guide, Eagle County, Colorado

• Overview

  Muskrat Lake is an Eagle County water, in Colorado. Everything around it is mixed forest. About 3 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The nearest place of any size is Gypsum, 23 miles away. It is 98 miles to Boulder, the nearest city. Water in the same corner: Mud Lake just 0.2 miles, Solitary Lake about 1.1 miles, Road Lake just 2.2 miles, Deer Lake about 2.2 miles and McMillan Lake just 2.6 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Muskrat Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Eagle County, recorded fish include brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Muskrat Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 52°F, with January the cold end at about 15°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near early November: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. At Muskrat Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Mud Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. For Muskrat Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.