Palmers Lake in San Miguel County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Palmers Lake in San Miguel County, Colorado. The surface lies 7,011 feet up. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Start from Mountain Village, 28 miles down the road. Beyond it, Telluride at 30 miles and Montrose at 31 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Palmers Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Reported across San Miguel County: rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and brook trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Palmers Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 24°F in January and 67°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid March. Ice usually gives way near mid March, and forms again about early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Anyone fishing Palmers Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Williams Reservoir at 3.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Palmers Lake before loading the car.