Fishing · NW Larimer County
Barnes Meadow Reservoir
A quiet, productive trout reservoir near Chambers Lake that most people drive right past.
Toggle USGS Topo / Terrain / Satellite / Street (top-right) · red = special-regulation water, confirm current rules · waters © CPW Colorado Fishing Atlas
Barnes Meadow Reservoir is one of the little high-country waters near Cameron Pass that most anglers drive right past on their way to somewhere bigger. It sits just off Highway 14 up near Chambers Lake, above 9,000 feet, and while it rarely draws a crowd, it has quietly earned a reputation as a productive trout fishery for those who stop.
You will find rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook trout in here, with cutbows in the mix too. The fish can run on the small side, but they tend to come in numbers, which makes Barnes Meadow a fun, low-key stop — especially through the summer, when the high country is open and the water is fishing well.
The Water
Elevation
9,079 ft
Fish
Rainbow, brown, cutthroat & brook
Setting
Near Chambers Lake
Best
Summer
Good to Know
- A valid Colorado fishing license is required, and standard statewide limits apply — always confirm the current rules before you fish.
- Sits on national-forest / CPW water, where ice fishing is allowed in winter (unlike Larimer County’s Front Range reservoirs). Check the ice, and never go out alone.
- A quiet alternative to nearby Chambers Lake — light traffic and a good numbers fishery for its size.
- High country off Highway 14 near Cameron Pass; best from summer into early fall.
What’s Biting & What’s Stocked
The current stocking, the species, ice conditions, and the full Northwest Larimer fishing atlas — refreshed weekly — live in the app.
Coming soon — Larimer Wilds Fishing: offline maps, live GPS, and what’s stocked for every water up here, right in your pocket.
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Fishing details compiled by the Red Feather Lakes Travel Guide from the sources above. Photography by us — more of our own water images coming as we fish them.