Rawah Lake Number 4 Fishing in Larimer County, Colorado

• Overview

  Larimer County, Colorado, is where Rawah Lake Number 4 sits. Elevation runs to 11,453 feet. Surface area runs to about 24 acres — small enough to read in one session. Compared with other Colorado water on our list, it sits high. 31 miles away sits Estes Park, the nearest town. The big place round here is Fort Collins, 46 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Rawah Lake Number 4

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Larimer County list black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Work this water in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 51°F and February about 19°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate figures give an open season running late May to early November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Rawah Lake Number 3 is 0.9 miles distant. Treat this water as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.