Pear Lake in Chaffee County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Pear Lake in the Chaffee County part of Colorado. It sits in mixed forest country. At roughly 5 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Colorado listings. For supplies, Buena Vista is 15 miles out. Beyond it, Leadville at 24 miles and Leadville North at 24 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pear Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Chaffee County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Pear Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 50°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Pear Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Silver King Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. The position on Pear Lake is worth confirming on the day.