This is a moderately steep climb to a high alpine lake above the timberline with fair fishing. Beware of severe afternoon thunderstorms. Please be careful of the three-foot trees along the way, as they may be 200 years old. Camping is not recommended, due to fragile alpine tundra and exposure.
Directions from Aspen: Drive 18-1/2 miles east of Aspen on Highway 82 to the last switchback before Independence Pass. The trailhead is on the left (north) side of the highway.
Seasonal Information:
Normally Accessible:
June through September
(NOTE: Snow may cover sections of the trail and most of the lake in the Spring, Fall, and Winter months.)
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Current Conditions & Trip Reports
Winter Conditions. Beware of avalanche danger and hypothermia. Updated: 2002-12-23 14:36:00.0
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Filed By: Jim Nock
(Colorado Springs, CO)
Time of Day: 0800 Length of Time: 45 minutes one way Difficulty: Easy Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl Recommend to a Friend: Highly Report: The trail, only 0.4 miles, has two brief steep pitches, beginning and the end seperated by a short flat area. You are rewarded by a pristine glacial lake approximately 6 acres in size and perhaps 30-40 feet deep. Conditions: In mid-August, the trail was dry and quite dusty. My two trips to the lake were accomplished in the morning to maximize fishing time. NO OTHER FISHERMEN! Water Availability: No water available until the lake. I used a CamelBack with 3 liter capacity and had 1 liter to spare after fishing all day. Recommended Clothing: 12 inch brook trout along the shelf walls & 16+ inch rainbows cruising the boulder fields along the south shore. Suggested Accessories: Shorts in August with a 3-4 wt fly rod AND ultra-light spin cast. The fly rod is for low wind days and the spin cast is for those days when the wind is BLOWING! Flies: # 16-18 olive EH Caddis, Spin cast: Panthet Martin PMRG # 2 or 4 (remove 2 of the three barbs on the treble hooks). Float tube would be useful to reach those trout feeding in the middle but not necessary on calm days.
Recreation Opportunities
Activity
Remarks
On Site
Cold Water Fishing
Linkins Lake
Yes
Hiking & Walking
Linkins Lake Trail
Yes
More Information
Visitor Information:
Aspen Chamber Resort Association, 425 Rio Grande Pl.
, Aspen, CO, 81611, Phone: 970-925-1940
Links to other sites: Forest Conservancy - Current Information from Local Volunteers: Closings and Conditions
Winter Conditions. Beware of avalanche danger and hypothermia. Updated: 2002-12-23 14:36:00.0
Add your own trip Report!
