Sawyer Lake Fishing Guide, Pitkin County, Colorado

• Overview

  Set in Pitkin County, Colorado, this is Sawyer Lake. This is rolling bush country. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Aspen sits 9.8 miles from the bank. It is 89 miles to Lakewood, the nearest city. Alternatives close at hand: Chapman Lake (3 miles), Nast E Lake 4 miles, Chapman Reservoir (4.7 miles), Deadman Lake 5.5 miles and Sioux Lake (5.7 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Sawyer Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Pitkin County: cutthroat trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county list is broader than any single water. On Sawyer Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 50°F, with January the cold end at about 12°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. The lid tends to go about early June and return around early November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan any trip to Sawyer Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Chapman Lake, 3 miles out. Where Sawyer Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.