Heart Lake, Garfield County Fishing
A 315-acre Colorado lake in Garfield County at 10,713 feet.
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Getting to know Heart Lake, Garfield County
Its mapped shoreline gives Heart Lake, Garfield County close to 315 acres, all charted in Garfield County. At around 10,713 feet, it is high-country water. CPW files it under White River National Forest. The closest town on the Census list is Carbonate, some 2 miles away. It belongs to the CPW Northwest Region.
Its fish on the CPW roster: brook trout, native cutthroat trout and tiger trout. CPW sets the boating rule as Electric. The Fishing Atlas rates access as medium and fishing pressure as low. Through the ice season: ice fishing listed as yes.
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (waterbody outline, Boatable Waters, fishing locations), Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
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These Heart Lake, Garfield County species rest on CPW listings and records, not a full net survey.
CPW Boatable Waters species field, CPW state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Ramps CPW maps at Heart Lake, Garfield County
There is no mapped ramp on Heart Lake, Garfield County; see the list of close ones.
Fishing access points at Heart Lake, Garfield County
- Heart Lake fishing access near Carbonatemedium access, stocked: sub-catchables, 10,713 ft
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.
How full Heart Lake, Garfield County is
Co. Division of Water Resources storage telemetry for Heart Lake Reservoir (station HARTLKCO), recorded October 25, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026. Provisional data from CDSS.
Water rights, not anglers, set the level at Heart Lake, Garfield County.
Fish legal to carry home from Heart Lake, Garfield County
| Species | Bag and possession | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee) | Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Brook trout 8 inches or less (bonus) | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Kokanee salmon | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Walleye, saugeye and sauger | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Smallmouth bass | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White bass, striped bass and wiper | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Channel, flathead and blue catfish | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White and black crappie | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Bluegill and other sunfish | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Yellow perch | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Tiger muskie | Daily bag 1, possession 1; at least 36 inches long | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Northern pike and bullhead | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
The drainage column of the limits chart puts Heart Lake, Garfield County west of the Continental Divide. Waters stay open day and night all year in Colorado; the chart rows set the bag at Heart Lake, Garfield County.
Statewide bag and possession chart, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Heart Lake, Garfield County beside its neighbors
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation ft | Boat ramps | On the trout report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Lake, Garfield County | 315 | 10,713 | 0 | ||
| Deep Lake, Garfield County | 1 mile east | 32 | 10,467 | 0 | yes |
| Sweetwater Lake | 9 miles east | 73 | 7,713 | 0 | yes |
| Meadow Lake | 12 miles west | 60 | 9,544 | 1 | |
| Trappers Lake | 16 miles north | 323 | 9,632 | 0 | |
| Lake Of The Woods | 18 miles north | 16 | 9,015 | 0 |
CPW Fishing Atlas, ramp layer and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Around Heart Lake, Garfield County on the map
Reservoirs and ponds near Heart Lake, Garfield County
- Deep Lake, Garfield County1 mile east
- Sweetwater Lake9 miles east
- Meadow Lake12 miles west
- Trappers Lake16 miles north
- Lake Of The Woods18 miles north
Stores that stock up Heart Lake, Garfield County trips
- Gearhead Outfitters, 205 West 6th Streetsporting goods store, Glenwood Springs, 15 miles
- Gold Medal Nets LLCbait and tackle shop, Glenwood Springs, 16 miles
- Roaring Fork Anglersfly shop, Glenwood Springs, 16 miles
- Alpine Anglingbait and tackle shop, Carbondale, 25 miles
- Crystal Fly Shop & Decorfly shop, Carbondale, 26 miles
- Timberline Sporting Goodsbait and tackle shop, Rifle, 29 miles
Hiring a guide for Heart Lake, Garfield County
- Alpine Anglingfishing guide, Carbondale, (970) 963-9245
- Alpine Angling/Adventure Travel,Incfishing guide, Carbondale
- Elevated Angling, LLCfishing guide, Carbondale
- Into The Wild Kayak Fishing Adventures LLCfishing guide, Carbondale
- Scotts High Country Anglers LLCfishing guide, Parachute
- Crystal Fly Shop & Decorfly fishing guide, Carbondale, (970) 963-5741
- Harcourt Fly Fishing 3G LLCfly fishing guide, New Castle, (970) 404-1339
Nearest towns to Heart Lake, Garfield County
- Glenwood Springs15 miles
- New Castle17 miles
- Gypsum22 miles
Heart Lake, Garfield County on the county pages
- Garfield Countyseat: Glenwood Springs
Piscifun gear to pack for Heart Lake, Garfield County
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Photo views of fishing water near Heart Lake, Garfield County

Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0

Photo: 23countries, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0

Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Colorado anglers ask this about Heart Lake, Garfield County
In what part of the state is Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Garfield County, CPW Northwest Region, about 2 miles from Carbonate.
Is Heart Lake, Garfield County a big reservoir?
About 315 acres, at about 10,713 feet.
Can a trailered boat get onto Heart Lake, Garfield County from a mapped ramp?
Not mapped; carry in or use a nearby ramp.
Are trout part of the fishery at Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Expect brook trout, native cutthroat trout and tiger trout.
What bag limit does the CPW chart set at Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee): Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate.
Is a CPW license required to fish Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Colorado sells no separate trout stamp; a CPW fishing license covers trout ($44.87 for adult residents, $124.01 for nonresidents), and anglers 16 and older need one.
Has CPW listed Heart Lake, Garfield County for stocking recently?
No listing on the CPW trout report since 2024.
Which store on the list is nearest Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Gearhead Outfitters, about 15 miles away.
Who reports the water level at Heart Lake, Garfield County?
Above: Colorado Division of Water Resources telemetry.
Is Heart Lake, Garfield County an ice fishing spot?
Its winter entry reads ice fishing listed as yes; drill test holes first.
Put Heart Lake, Garfield County on this season's list
License prices and the full limits chart are on one page.

