Solitude Lake near Estes Park: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Boulder County, Colorado, this is Solitude Lake. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It sits higher than most water we list in Colorado. Start from Estes Park, 9.9 miles down the road. Granby lies 20 miles off, Lyons another 20 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Solitude Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Boulder County cover black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Take Solitude Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in February to roughly 52°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late May and return around early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Solitude Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Shelf Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Solitude Lake as something to verify.