Peanut Lake in Gunnison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Peanut Lake is set in Gunnison County, Colorado. It sits in mixed forest. Roughly 34 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 1.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Few waters listed in Gunnison County are bigger. Crested Butte lies 1.1 miles from the water. The big place round here is Lakewood, 117 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Peanut Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Gunnison County cover rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Peanut Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 55°F; the cold one sits at 11°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Peanut Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Nicholson Lake, 1.3 miles out. Where Peanut Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.