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Fishing Grand Lake: what the data says
483-acre lake near Grand County. The lake tops out around 389 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Kokanee fishing at Grand Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 30 to 70 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 331 ft, rated good for spring kokanee. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Brown Trout fishing at Grand Lake
Spring brown trout on Grand Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 175 ft of water that rates good for brown trout in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Grand Lake
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 35 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 175 ft that scores good in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Lake Trout fishing at Grand Lake
Spring lake trout on Grand Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 50 to 120 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 331 ft, rated good for summer lake trout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 50 to 120 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Grand Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 175 ft, rated good for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 331 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 175 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 97 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 97 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Grand Lake?
Grand Lake is about 389 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Grand Lake?
Anglers target rainbow trout, lake trout, brown trout, kokanee, cutthroat trout on Grand Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Grand Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 331 ft of water that rates good for kokanee in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Grand Lake?
For kokanee, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Shadow Mountain Reservoir · Granby Reservoir · Monarch Lake · Willow Creek Reservoir · Meadow Creek Reservoir · Diamond Lake Upper
See how Grand Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Colorado · best lake trout lakes in Colorado · best brown trout lakes in Colorado · best kokanee lakes in Colorado
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