Fishing Paradise Lake in Rio Blanco County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Paradise Lake in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. The surface lies 10,092 feet up. At roughly 2 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Rio Blanco County list. The town to know is Meeker, 31 miles out. Glenwood Springs is 33 miles away, with Gypsum at 33 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Paradise Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Rio Blanco County, recorded fish include flannelmouth sucker, cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Paradise Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 55°F, with January the cold end at about 17°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. On average, mid May opens the water and mid November closes it again. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Paradise Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Mirror Lake at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Paradise Lake locally before you travel.