Highline Lake Fishing Guide
Topography and landscape
Highline Lake State Park sits near Loma at the west end of the Grand Valley. CPW calls it an oasis in the desert: two lakes, grass, trees and trails inside high desert country that stretches from the Western Slope of the Rockies to the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. (CPW)
The park covers 738 acres. Highline Lake, the main attraction, is a 160 surface acre reservoir with warm water; the smaller Mack Mesa Lake sits beside it. (CPW, CPW) Highline Lake was finished in 1967 using water from the Government Highline Canal. Mack Mesa Lake is older, built in 1952. (CPW)
How the land shapes the fishing. Warm desert water means a warmwater fishery: CPW lists largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill and channel catfish here, with rainbow trout stocked in spring and fall. (CPW) Loma is also where the BLM Ruby-Horsethief float on the Colorado River begins. (BLM)
What you'll find
Fish. Two lakes to fish, Highline and Mack Mesa, with largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish and rainbow trout. Both lakes are usually stocked in spring and fall. Mack Mesa, the smaller lake, is popular with shore anglers and families and has an accessible fishing pier. (CPW) Species by water are in the CPW Fishing Atlas and the fishing brochure; we do not restate regulations. (CPW)
Wildlife and plants. Most mammals in the park come out at night. By day you may see squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, mule deer, lizards and several kinds of snakes. CPW lists rock wren, mallard, ruddy duck and great horned owl among the birds, and mat saltbush, salt cedar, prickly pear cactus and cottonwood among the plants. (CPW)
Facilities. The visitor center store sells firewood, ice and camping basics, and worms, lures and Powerbait are usually for sale there. The visitor center also lends life jackets, kids fishing poles and tackle boxes, and explorer backpacks with identification. (CPW, CPW) The West Boat Ramp takes motorboats; the East Ramp near the visitor center is for hand launched craft such as kayaks and paddleboards. There is a buoyed swim beach on Highline Lake only. The park has 9.6 miles of trails and 56 campsites. (CPW, CPW)
Nearby. Our sister page for Mack Mesa Lake, plus the Western Colorado guide and Grand Junction.
Responsible use
Leave No Trace. Pack in, pack out. CPW asks visitors to stay on trails, respect closures, keep human food away from wildlife and take nothing but pictures. (CPW, Leave No Trace)
Mussels and boat inspection. Highline Lake and Mack Mesa Lake are both designated infested with zebra mussels. To boat on Highline you need an ANS stamp, current registration and a pre-launch inspection, and every boat leaving the lake is inspected and decontaminated. Any trailered boat is inspected before and after launching at either lake. Hand launched, human powered craft are exempt from the mandatory inspection; clean, drain and dry them at the self cleaning station near the Mack Mesa vault toilet. (CPW, CPW, CPW) More in our clean, drain, dry note.
Fire. Use the fire rings at campsites and check current restrictions; seasonal fire rules on nearby public land change with conditions. (CPW, BLM)
History you may find. In the early 1900s the Uintah Railway in nearby Mack hauled dinosaur fossils to the Smithsonian. Traces of the railway remain in the park; CPW asks you to leave any artifacts where they are. (CPW)
Rules for this ground. Fishing, boating and park rules are set by CPW. Read the park pages and the fishing brochure for the current rules; we do not restate them here. (CPW, CPW) See also our Colorado fishing laws page.
Kindness to other users
The ramp. On summer weekends Highline Lake regularly fills to boat capacity, and boats wait until one leaves; CPW says waits can top four hours and suggests arriving early, or coming on weekdays and evenings when there is rarely a wait. (CPW) Our shop habit, not a rule: rig in the lot, launch, and clear the ramp quickly.
Share the water. Water skiers run a set pattern on Highline, and Wednesdays are wakeless, which CPW suggests for a calmer paddle. (CPW) Our shop habit: anglers in small craft keep to the coves and the quiet north end CPW mentions, and give skiers room. (CPW)
Quiet and birds. To see more birds, CPW says keep voices and other sounds low, view from a distance, avoid nests, and do not play recorded calls. (CPW)
Pets. Dogs stay leashed and under control, and are not allowed on the swim beach or left unattended. For the best wildlife viewing CPW suggests leaving pets at home. (CPW, CPW)
Hunters in season. CPW recommends wearing fluorescent orange or pink in the field in hunting season even if you are not hunting. (CPW)
Best times to go
Time of day. Early. Weekend boat lines build through the day, and weekdays and evenings rarely have a wait. (CPW) CPW notes most summer storms in the Grand Valley build in the afternoon and arrive quickly from the west, and wind is the main reason paddlers end up in the water. (CPW) The park opens at 5 a.m. (CPW)
Season. Spring and fall are stocking seasons on both lakes, and CPW says trout fishing is good for families from early spring. (CPW) Summer is for warmwater fish; Visit Grand Junction points to Highline for bass, catfish and panfish then. (Visit Grand Junction) Highline Lake closes to boating each fall through late winter to give migratory birds a place to rest, and some birds spend the whole winter. Check the CPW page for the season dates. Mack Mesa stays open to kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing, and is known for early season and fall trout. (CPW, CPW) We never call ice safe; read our cold water checklist.
Why visit
CPW calls Highline the recreation epicenter of the Grand Valley and a base camp for exploring the Grand Junction area. The National Audubon Society recognizes it as an Important Bird Area. (CPW) It is a place where a family can borrow a rod and a life jacket at the visitor center, fish from shore, and watch ducks and owls in the same day. (CPW, CPW)
Plan it with the Trip Builder and our Highline day trip prep.
Safety
Cold water. CPW says Colorado water counts as cold water, under 70 degrees, for most of the year, and cold water shock can drown strong swimmers. Most swimming, paddleboarding and kayaking deaths happen without a life jacket. (CPW) Borrow one free at the visitor center. Underwater hazards may not be marked. (CPW) The Weather Service adds: dress for the water, not the air. (NWS)
Weather. In lightning, the only safe place is a building or a hard topped vehicle; wait 30 minutes after the last thunder. (NWS) Afternoon wind comes up fast here. (CPW) See our wind go or no go checklist.
Heat. Grand Valley summers run hot; NPS notes nearby Colorado National Monument reaches the low 100s and asks visitors to carry a gallon of water per person per day. (NPS, NPS) Know heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, weakness, cool pale clammy skin, dizziness and nausea. Heat stroke is an emergency; call 911. (NWS)
Wildlife. CPW lists several kinds of snakes in the park, and NPS lists rattlesnakes at the nearby monument; watch where you put your hands and feet. (CPW, NPS) More: life jackets and cold water.
Heading out from Grand Junction? Pick up the VCO Trucker Hat ($38), the VCO Ringer Shirt ($44), or the VCO Tumbler ($36), or bundle all three in the Valley Merch Pack ($99). Made to order, ships from Grand Junction.