Fishing in gypsum, Colorado

Gypsum sits at the western edge of Eagle County, putting anglers within reasonable striking distance of the Flat Tops Wilderness and a spread of high-country lakes and river stretches that most Front Range fishermen never bother to find. The 29 fishing spots accessible from here split pretty evenly between still water and moving water. On the lake side you have options ranging from smaller alpine basins like Mosquito Lake, Dry Lake, and East Lost Lake to larger reservoirs like Heart Lake Reservoir and Supply Basin Lake. River and stream fishing pulls from the SE Flat Tops Area, Cross Creek, Big Fish, and several named access sites along moving water including Cottonwood Site, Horse Pasture Site, and Hooper Lake. The Flat Tops terrain means most of the high lakes sit above 10,000 feet, so the season is compressed — ice-out typically runs late May into June depending on snowpack, and the water can freeze back up by October. Cutthroat and brook trout are the species you're most likely to encounter in the wilderness lakes; the river stretches add brown trout into the mix. Access to the Flat Tops NW and SE areas involves forest roads that require a high-clearance vehicle in most conditions, so check road status before you load the truck.