Fishing at Muskrat Lakes, Rio Blanco County, Colorado

• Overview

  Muskrat Lakes lies within the bounds of Rio Blanco County, Colorado. This is lake country bush ground. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest place of any size is Meeker, 27 miles away. The nearest city of size is Boulder, 113 miles away. More in the same country: Guthrie Lake at 1.7 miles, Slide Lake 2.2 miles away, Rainbow Lake at 2.3 miles, Mary Loch Lake 3.3 miles away and Pine Isle Lake at 3.3 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Muskrat Lakes

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Rio Blanco County: flannelmouth sucker, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and bluehead sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Muskrat Lakes the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 16°F at the bottom of winter. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Muskrat Lakes fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Guthrie Lake, 1.7 miles out. Where Muskrat Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.