How Does Ice Fishing Work on Lake Granby in Grand County, Colorado?

When Lake Granby freezes, anglers drill holes through the ice and fish below it. Rebecca Smyth, Real Estate Agent, was raised in Grand County, where winter is long and ice fishing is one of the ways people get outside in it.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutbow and kokanee salmon at Lake Granby, from a mix of stocked and self-sustaining fish. The state also notes that lake trout anglers have success when ice fishing.

• A fishing license. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says anglers 15 and under fish free. Everyone older needs a Colorado fishing license.
• A portable shelter, if you use one. The state says ice fishing shelters on Lake Granby must be portable.
• The current rules. Limits differ by species and the state can close areas of the lake for part of the year. Read the current Lake Granby page from Colorado Parks and Wildlife before you go.

Rules and fees change, so do not rely on last year's notes or a friend's memory.

Ice is never a sure thing. It differs from one part of a lake to another and changes through the season. I am not giving thickness numbers here on purpose, because conditions change by the day.

• Get current guidance. Ask Colorado Parks and Wildlife or a local guide about conditions on the day you go.
• Do not go alone. Go with someone, and tell a third person where you are and when you will be back.
• Dress in layers. Wind on open ice is cold, and a cold angler makes poor choices.
• Turn around if you are unsure. The fish will be there another day.

• Your license, and a way to keep it dry.
• An ice auger and a sled to carry your gear.
• Warm layers, extra gloves and a hot drink.
• Traction for your boots.
• A charged phone and a plan for where you will park.

Check whether access areas or sites around the lake have fees or winter closures. Some Forest Service sites around the reservoirs charge a fee, so look at the Arapaho National Recreation Area page first.

Winter gear needs a home. A sled, an auger, a shelter and a pile of layers take real space, so when you tour homes around Granby and Grand Lake, look at the garage, the shed and the mudroom. Where does the wet gear go? Where do you park the truck?

Ask how long the drive is to the lake in a storm, and who plows the road. Those two answers matter as much as the lake does. Read more in my post on closing up a second home for winter.

Go with someone who has done it, or hire a guide. Get your license sorted before the day, and read the Lake Granby page from Colorado Parks and Wildlife the night before. The page lists the species and the limits for each, and the limits are not the same for lake trout as they are for the other trout and for kokanee salmon.

Pick a weekday morning if you can, bring a plan for where to park, and keep the first trip short. Your first day on the ice should end with you wanting another one.

Fishing rules, license requirements, closures and ice conditions change. Confirm them with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before you go. This post is a general guide and not safety advice, and it is not about any one home.

Want a winter home near the water? Book a call with me or text 970-531-1268. You can also read about the Granby area.