Fishing Grand Lake, CO

Boat and bank fishing

Last updated on February 2, 2026.

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Grand Lake, CO

Popular Fish Species

Lake Trout Fishing

Year round, fishing for lake trout in Grand Lake Colorado is a draw for anglers wishing to catch a large trout. These tough fighting lakers can be caught from as shallow as 15 to 30 feet in Spring and Fall, to as deep as 150 feet or more during Summer and Winter. It is a monumental help to use fish finders, or other electronics to help in locating these roaming schools of lake trout. They feed on baitfish, so jigs rigged to imitate their prey often work well straight down under the boat. Trolling with numerous set-ups can also produce good catches. When the lake freezes over, ice fishing for big lake trout with spoons can deliver some great catches.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

This year, fishing for rainbow trout in Grand Lake continues to be very productive for local anglers. Fish for rainbow trout here with worms, salmon eggs, prepared baits, small spinners, spoons, jerkbaits and small crankbaits in vibrant colors to mimic their preferred prey. Additionally, floating or sinking flies, such as nymphs, streamers, or dry flies, are popular choices for fly anglers targeting rainbow trout. Trolling with lures or flies behind a boat, casting near shoreline structures, or still fishing with bait can all yield success. Adjusting lure size, color, and retrieve speed can enhance chances of enticing these colorful and spirited fish. When the lake freezes over, try your luck at ice fishing.

Kokanee Salmon Fishing

Sockeye salmon which remain landlocked, never migrating to the ocean, are called kokanee salmon. On-going stocking of kokanee salmon by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife helps to maintain a nice population for the fishery. Typically kokanee average one to two pounds. As one of the better kokanee fishing lakes in Colorado, Grand Lake delivers plenty of fish above normal averages. These tasty fish school in lakes at depths which remain at ideal temperatures of between 48 and 58 degrees. Once this depth is identified, use a fish finder to locate schools. Use small lures trolled at the appropriate depth. The can also be caught using corn, but the main way they are caught is using flashy lures which they attack when the lure intrudes their space. In winter, once the ice is safe, try ice fishing for kokanee.

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Guide to fishing for rainbow, brown, lake, cutthroat and brook trout, plus kokanee salmon at Grand Lake in Colorado.

With over 500 surface acre feet and 4 1/2 miles of shoreline, Grand Lake is the largest natural lake in CO. It is wrapped on the north and east by the town of Grand Lake, in north-central CO. Fishing enthusiasts can fish for trout and salmon, from the shore, from a boat or go ice fishing in winter once the ice is safe.