Petroleum Lake Fishing near Aspen, Colorado

• Overview

  The Pitkin County entry here is Petroleum Lake, in Colorado. Elevation runs to 12,290 feet. This is a pocket water of some 12 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. Aspen is the closest place, 15 miles off. Then Snowmass Village, 21 miles, and Crested Butte, 22 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Petroleum 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. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Pitkin County include cutthroat trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Petroleum Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 49°F, the coldest about 11°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early June. The season between ice runs from about early June to late October. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Expect Petroleum Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Anderson Lake, 0.6 miles out. None of that is settled for Petroleum Lake in what we hold.