Opal Lake, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Opal Lake is set in Archuleta County, Colorado. It sits in rolling bush. The water measures roughly 3 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Archuleta County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Pagosa Springs, 15 miles away. The nearest city of size is Pueblo, 138 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Opal Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Archuleta County include brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish Opal Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 58°F and January about 20°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near late April and comes back about late November in a typical year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Opal Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Crescent Lake at 2.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Opal Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.