Rainbow Lake Fishing Guide, Gunnison County, Colorado

• Overview

  Colorado holds Rainbow Lake, in Gunnison County. Land around it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 17 acres — small enough to read in one session. Gunnison lies 15 miles from the water. Then Crested Butte, 19 miles, and Paonia, 27 miles. Others close at hand: Cunningham Reservoir lies 8.1 miles on, Costo Lake at 8.3 miles, Sheep Lake lies 8.6 miles on, Kenny Moore Reservoir at 9.2 miles and Blue Mesa Reservoir lies 11 miles on. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Reported across Gunnison County: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Rainbow Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 53°F and January reads 14°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid May and starts locking again about mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Rainbow Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. 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. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Cunningham Reservoir, 8.1 miles out. For Rainbow Lake in particular, ask before you travel.