Fishing Silver Lake in San Juan County, Colorado

• Overview

  The San Juan County entry here is Silver Lake, in Colorado. It lies 12,211 feet above sea level. With some 30 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. On our San Juan County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest town is Telluride, 15 miles off. Pueblo sits 167 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Silver Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. San Juan County records list black-spotted cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brook trout among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Silver Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 52°F and January at 13°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Ice-out usually falls in late May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around late May to about mid November in an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Expect Silver Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Highland Mary Lakes, 2.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Silver Lake.