Picture Lake Fishing in Eagle County, Colorado

• Overview

  Picture Lake lies in Eagle County, in Colorado. The surface lies 9,961 feet up. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Start from Eagle, 9.3 miles down the road. Boulder is the closest city, 83 miles away. Others close at hand: Edges Lake at 1.7 miles, Schlegel Lake lies 1.9 miles on, Welsh Reservoir at 2.7 miles, Blue Lake lies 3 miles on and Castle Creek Ponds at 3 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Picture Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. 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. Survey and observation records for Eagle County include brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Picture Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 17°F in January to roughly 57°F in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Picture Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Edges Lake is 1.7 miles off. The position on Picture Lake is worth confirming on the day.