Ptarmigan Lake Fishing Guide, Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Ptarmigan Lake lies in Pitkin County, in Colorado. The surface lies 12,306 feet up. At roughly 6 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. You are 13 miles from Aspen. The big place round here is Lakewood, 96 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Ptarmigan Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Pitkin County: cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Ptarmigan Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 50°F; by January the average is down near 11°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Open water usually runs from early June until about early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Ptarmigan Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Tabor Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. For Ptarmigan Lake in particular, ask before you travel.