Lake Avery

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.4+ miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6684 - 6694 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Lake Avery
Fee: none (wildlife stamp)
Attractions: Fishing

Lake Avery, aka Big Beaver Reservoir, is located in the Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area east of Meeker, Colorado. Besides being a good place to camp in the area the lake is usually very good fishing for rainbow trout.

To get to the trailhead from Meeker drive east on Highway 13 for 1 mile and turn right onto County Road 8. Continue for another 18 miles and turn left at the sign for the Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area. Follow the road up the hill on the west side of the dam to a large parking, boat ramp and picnic area.

Beginning at the parking area there are several trails that travel around the west side of the lake.

Easy fishing access can be found most anywhere along the shore.

Lake Avery has a lot of freshwater shrimp and crawdads that makes for some nice sized fish. Our youngest daughter caught a 2 pounder in this little cove back when she was almost too little to reel it in.

Fifty years ago we used to drive the truck around to this spot and set up camp. Sometime later they made it so you now have to use your feet. It's almost a half mile hike to get here but it's been our favorite for years.

We've always done better with a long cast so when using flies we would tie a 6 foot leader onto the end of a bubble that was half full of water to get out far enough. Pretty much anything that catches trout anywhere else should work well here. If what your'e using isn't catching fish then switch it up to something else.

Lake Avery used to have a 5 horsepower limit on boat motors but that sign is gone and now, right or wrong, you might see some pretty large craft. There is a large dispersed camping area with restrooms on the grassy hill above the east side of the lake. At present there is no charge for camping. Somewhere along the way this quit being Lake Avery State Park and started being labeled on maps as the Big Beaver Reservoir. Call it whatever you want it's still a great place to take the family and go fishing. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.