Fishing & Hunting Near Red Feather Lakes & the Poudre Canyon
Northwest Larimer County is some of the finest fishing and hunting country in Northern Colorado. Cold, clear trout water runs from the Cache la Poudre River through dozens of high-mountain lakes around Red Feather Lakes and Glacier View, while the Roosevelt National Forest, the Colorado State Forest, and a patchwork of State Wildlife Areas hold healthy herds of elk, mule deer, and black bear. Whether you are casting for wild trout on the river, working a stocked lake with the kids, or scouting a unit for the fall, here is what you need to know to fish and hunt the Red Feather Lakes and Poudre Canyon country.
Fishing the Red Feather Lakes & Poudre Canyon
From the stocked lakes around Red Feather — Dowdy, West, Bellaire, and Parvin — to the wild trout water of the Cache la Poudre and the high alpine cutthroat lakes, Northwest Larimer County is trout country. Our full fishing guide covers where to go, what you will catch, the special regulations, the stocking, the local guides and shops, and an interactive map of every lake and river-access point.
Hunting the Red Feather & Poudre Canyon Country
This is genuine big-game country. The Roosevelt National Forest, the Colorado State Forest, and a patchwork of State Wildlife Areas and BLM ground around Red Feather Lakes, Livermore, and the Poudre Canyon open hundreds of thousands of acres to public hunting. The area falls across several of Colorado’s game management units — GMU 8 covers the Roosevelt National Forest north and west of Fort Collins, and GMU 191 runs south through the Poudre Canyon — so pin down your unit before you apply.
The Poudre River elk herd is strong and present year-round, working the forested slopes, parks, and river corridors. Mule deer are healthy and widespread, with good bucks and relatively light pressure. Black bear feed hard in the oak brush and berry patches through early fall, and the country also holds a limited number of moose (a hard-to-draw, once-in-a-lifetime tag), Merriam’s turkey, and small game from cottontails to dusky grouse.
Seasons, Tags & How to Draw
Colorado sets its big-game seasons each year, but the rhythm holds steady: archery opens in early September, muzzleloader follows in mid-September, and the rifle hunts run through a series of combined seasons from mid-October into November. Bear seasons run concurrent through the fall, pronghorn out on the lower, more open country in late summer and fall, and turkey in both spring and fall.
Most big-game tags are issued through Colorado’s limited draw, and applications are typically due in early April — so plan well ahead. Some units offer over-the-counter elk tags, and leftover tags go on sale later in the summer. Hunters born on or after January 1, 1949 must carry hunter-education certification, and everyone needs the proper license and habitat stamp. Scout early, learn your unit boundaries, and know where the public land ends and private begins.
Getting Set Up & Accessing the Water
For both fishing and hunting licenses, you can buy online from Colorado Parks & Wildlife before your trip, or pick one up in person at the Red Feather Trading Post while you are in town. Some of the best fishing around here is on private water: Red Feather Lakes Storage & Irrigation sells day passes to their lakes — they are not cheap, but the fishing can be worth it — and, as noted, Riddle Lake in Glacier View Meadows is open to residents and their guests only.
Plan Your Trip
Get your license, learn the water, pack out what you pack in, and get home safe on the canyon roads. Detailed fishing and hunting maps for Northwest Larimer County are on the way. In the meantime, explore the lakes, trails, and local businesses that make this corner of Colorado worth the drive.