Fishing at Timberline Lake, Larimer County, Colorado

• Overview

  Timberline Lake sits in Larimer County, out in Colorado. Elevation runs to 10,558 feet. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Larimer County. Supplies mean a trip to Estes Park, 18 miles off. Laporte is 29 miles away, with Fort Collins at 31 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Timberline Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Larimer County list black-spotted cutthroat trout, brook trout, white sucker and rainbow trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Timberline Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 52°F, with February the cold end at about 20°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually 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. That is the shape of the year on Timberline Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. You can camp about 110 yards away, going by the mapping. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Browns Lake is 0.2 miles distant. Ask locally about Timberline Lake if anything is unclear.