Fishing at Thorne Lake, San Miguel County, Colorado

• Overview

  Look for Thorne Lake in San Miguel County, Colorado. It stands 11,627 feet above sea level. On water this small, stealth matters more than range. Most waters listed here for San Miguel County are larger. Telluride sits 2.7 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Colorado Springs is 171 miles off. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Thorne Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. San Miguel County records list rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout and brown trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Thorne Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 52°F at the top of summer and 15°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late May. Break-up near late May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Thorne Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Rock Lake, 1.1 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Thorne Lake.