Fishing Rock Lake in San Miguel County, Colorado

• Overview

  You will find Rock Lake in San Miguel County, Colorado. The surface lies 12,700 feet up. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. Our San Miguel County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 3.8 miles away sits Telluride, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Colorado Springs, 170 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Rock Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in San Miguel County include rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Rock Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 13°F to 52°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late May. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan any trip to Rock Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Thorne Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Rock Lake is worth confirming on the day.