Van Boxel Lakes, Colorado: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Montrose County, Colorado, sits Van Boxel Lakes. Everything around it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. The town to know is Ouray, 23 miles out. Beyond it, Montrose at 25 miles and Telluride at 32 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Van Boxel Lakes

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Montrose County list rainbow trout, flannelmouth sucker, brown trout, white sucker and bluehead sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Van Boxel Lakes that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 56°F, with January the cold end at about 15°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early May until roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Van Boxel Lakes more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Mack Lake, 1.2 miles away. The position on Van Boxel Lakes is worth confirming on the day.