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Colorado lakes and reservoirs

Monarch Lake Fishing

A 142-acre Colorado lake in Grand County at 8,345 feet.

Get driving directions

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Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0

Grand County

Monarch Lake at a glance

Monarch Lake holds around 142 surface acres within Grand County. CPW gives an elevation of roughly 8,345 feet. Access runs through Arapaho NRA. For gas and groceries, Granby sits roughly 10 miles off. It falls inside the Northwest Region on CPW maps.

Anglers come here for brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and trout, by the CPW list. Boating allowed: Non-motorized. Reaching it is easy; crowds are high, CPW says. CPW winter status: ice fishing listed as yes.

142acres

8,345feet elevation

0boat ramps

4species listed

CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (waterbody outline, Boatable Waters, fishing locations), Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.

Directions to Monarch Lake CPW fishery survey Property page

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Species

The fishery at Monarch Lake

Every chip for Monarch Lake comes from a CPW list, a state record or the trout stocking report.

Brook trout Brown trout Rainbow trout Trout

CPW Boatable Waters species field, CPW state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.

Access

Putting in at Monarch Lake

Bring a float tube or use a ramp nearby: Monarch Lake has none mapped.

Walk-up spots at Monarch Lake

Monarch Lake fishing access near Granbyeasy access, stocked: catchable trout and sub-catchables, 8,345 ft

Other CPW ramps around Monarch Lake

Arapaho Bay Ramp on Lake GranbyLake Granby, 2 miles northwest
Sunset Point Ramp on Lake GranbyLake Granby, 8 miles northwest
Green Ridge Ramp on Shadow Mountain ReservoirShadow Mountain Reservoir, 9 miles northwest
Stillwater Ramp on Lake GranbyLake Granby, 9 miles northwest
Hilltop Ramp on Shadow Mountain ReservoirShadow Mountain Reservoir, 11 miles northwest

CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.

Limits

Bag limits at Monarch Lake

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

CPW splits some limits by drainage, and Monarch Lake falls west of the Continental Divide. Colorado has no closed season by species, so the chart applies all year at Monarch Lake unless a special rule says otherwise.

Statewide bag and possession chart, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026.

Colorado license and limits

Stocking

Recent trout releases at Monarch Lake

Catchable trout reached Monarch Lake often enough to earn 3 listings on the CPW report; the last is July 17, 2026.

1listings in 2026

1listings in 2025

1listings in 2024

Report date	What CPW lists
July 17, 2026	catchable trout, CPW Northwest Region
July 4, 2025	catchable trout, CPW Northwest Region
June 18, 2024	catchable trout, CPW Northwest Region

CPW Fish Stocking Report (catchable trout of about 10 inches; the date is when CPW added the water to its weekly list), 2024 to October 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Colorado stocking.

Compare

Measuring Monarch Lake against close lakes

Lake	Distance	Acres	Elevation ft	Boat ramps	On the trout report
Monarch Lake		142	8,345	0	yes
Meadow Creek Reservoir, Grand County	4 miles south	107	9,948	0
Blue Lake, Boulder County	7 miles east	23	11,310	0
Isabelle Lake	7 miles east	34	10,873	0
Dorothy Lake	7 miles southeast	14	12,066	0
Lake Granby	7 miles northwest	7,046	8,284	3	yes

CPW Fishing Atlas, ramp layer and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.

Nearby

What sits near Monarch Lake

Lakes to pair with Monarch Lake

Meadow Creek Reservoir, Grand County4 miles south
Blue Lake, Boulder County7 miles east
Isabelle Lake7 miles east
Dorothy Lake7 miles southeast
Lake Granby7 miles northwest

Bait and flies near Monarch Lake

Beacon Landing Marinabait and tackle shop, Grand Lake, 9 miles
Indian Peaks Marinamarina, Granby, 9 miles
Highland Marinamarina, Grand, 10 miles
Devil's Thumb Fly Fishing Centerfly shop, Tabernash, 10 miles
Trail Ridge Marinamarina, Grand Lake, 10 miles
Granby Bait N Tacklebait and tackle shop, Granby, 10 miles

Registered outfitters around Monarch Lake

Bucktail Chartersfishing guide, Grand Lake, (970) 380-1743
Fishing with Bernie, LLCfishing guide, Granby
Grand County Fishing Company, L.L.Cfishing guide, Fraser

Mountain and plains towns near Monarch Lake

Granby10 miles
Fraser13 miles
Winter Park16 miles

Counties holding part of Monarch Lake

Grand Countyseat: Hot Sulphur Springs

Piscifun

What Piscifun makes for Monarch Lake anglers

Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Know your fish

Species photos for anglers bound for Monarch Lake

Brook Trout, Colorado — Brook Trout
Photo: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5

Rainbow Trout, Colorado — Rainbow Trout
Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0

Wiper, Colorado — Wiper
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Channel Catfish, Colorado — Channel Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Answers

Planning notes for Monarch Lake in Q and A form

Which Colorado town makes the handiest base for Monarch Lake?

It lies in Grand County, CPW Northwest Region, about 10 miles from Granby.

How much surface does Monarch Lake spread across when full?

The outline measures about 142 acres, at about 8,345 feet.

How many CPW ramps reach the water at Monarch Lake?

No boat ramp appears for it.

Which species does CPW list for Monarch Lake?

The CPW roster names brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and trout.

How many trout can I keep at Monarch Lake?

Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee): Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate.

How much is a one-day license for Monarch Lake?

Fishing two lines at once takes the $14.24 second-rod stamp on top of the license; adult residents pay $44.87 for the license and nonresidents $124.01.

How often does CPW stock Monarch Lake?

Yes: 3 listings on the CPW catchable trout report (1 in 2026, 1 in 2025, 1 in 2024); latest July 17, 2026.

Where do anglers at Monarch Lake get supplies?

Beacon Landing Marina, 9 miles out.

What does CPW say about ice at Monarch Lake?

ice fishing listed as yes, per CPW; conditions change daily.

Plan a Colorado day at Monarch Lake

Fees, stamps and special rules sit on the license page.

Colorado license and limits All Colorado lakes