Fishing Near Red Feather Lakes & the Cache la Poudre River

Northwest Larimer County is a trout angler’s dream. The cluster of stocked lakes around the village of Red Feather Lakes, the wild freestone water of the Cache la Poudre River, and the high alpine cutthroat lakes of the Comanche Peak and Rawah Wilderness put a lifetime of fishing within an hour of Fort Collins. This is your complete guide to fishing the Red Feather Lakes and Poudre Canyon — where to go, what you will catch, the regulations, the stocking, the guides, and the maps.

The Red Feather Lakes

A handful of lakes sit right around the village, most stocked through the season with catchable rainbow trout and holding brown, brook, and cutthroat as well:

• Dowdy Lake — the largest of the Red Feather lakes, with a boat ramp, campground, and reliable rainbow fishing from bank or boat.
• West Lake — smaller and family-friendly, with a campground and easy bank access — a great spot to put a kid on their first trout.
• Bellaire Lake — our favorite: cast off the popular boardwalk, or slip around behind the granite outcropping for shade and quiet.
• Parvin Lake — a Colorado Parks & Wildlife State Wildlife Area with a fisheries research station, known for quality trout. Parvin carries its own special regulations, so check the rules before you fish.
• Lost Lake, Creedmore Lakes & the high country — quieter waters for anglers willing to walk a little farther from the road.

Bellaire Lake, from the shady side behind the granite. Bring a light spinning rod or a fly rod — both work well here — and take your time.

Fishing the Cache la Poudre River

The Poudre is classic Colorado freestone water — over 45 miles of undammed river, the only Wild and Scenic River in the state, running wild rainbows, browns, and cutthroat through pocket water, riffles, and deep canyon pools the length of Highway 14. Pull off at one of the day-use areas or river-access points, read the water, and fish the seams. Here is a morning on the water at Dadd Gulch.

Poudre Fishing Regulations & Special Waters

The statewide limit is generally four trout, but the Poudre has several special-regulation stretches — Wild Trout Water managed for self-sustaining wild fish, and not stocked. Know which water you are standing in before you cast:

• Rocky Mountain National Park boundary down to Joe Wright Creek — artificial flies & lures only; limit of two trout.
• Big Bend Campground down to Black Hollow Creek — artificial flies & lures only; catch-and-release.
• Hombre Ranch (below Rustic) down to the Pingree Park Road bridge — artificial flies & lures only; catch-and-release.
• Gateway (the Fort Collins water diversion) down to the North Fork confluence — artificial flies & lures only; catch-and-release.

Where fish may be kept on Wild Trout Water, the limit is two trout over 16 inches. These regulations protect wild, reproducing trout — please honor them, and confirm the current rules before you fish, since they can change year to year.

Wait — Isn’t Ice Fishing Banned in Larimer County?

You may run across Larimer County’s rules prohibiting ice fishing and get confused — because Red Feather runs ice-fishing derbies every winter. Here is the catch: that county rule applies only to the county’s own Front Range reservoirs — Horsetooth, Carter, Flatiron, and Pinewood. The Red Feather lakes are a different world. They sit in the Roosevelt National Forest and state wildlife areas, governed by Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service — not the county. Up here, ice fishing is not just allowed, it is a tradition. Just check the ice, and never go out alone.

Fishing Licenses

Anyone 16 or older needs a valid Colorado fishing license. The state sells annual licenses for residents and non-residents, plus one-day and multi-day options perfect for a weekend up the canyon — carry proof whenever you are on the water. Buy online from Colorado Parks & Wildlife before you head up, or grab one in person at the Red Feather Trading Post right in the village. Some of the best water is private: Red Feather Lakes Storage & Irrigation sells day passes to their lakes (not cheap, but worth it), and Riddle Lake in Glacier View Meadows is open to residents and their guests only.

What’s Being Stocked

Colorado Parks & Wildlife stocks the Red Feather lakes and many Poudre-area waters all season — mostly catchable rainbow trout. The plants change week to week, and a lake that was slow in May can be on fire by July. The current, water-by-water stocking — refreshed weekly — lives in the Larimer Wilds Fishing app, alongside the interactive map and full details for every water.

How & When to Fish — Plus the Bait Report

On the lakes, bank anglers do well with PowerBait or nightcrawlers on the bottom, or small spinners and spoons — Panther Martins and Kastmasters are local favorites — along the drop-offs. A slip bobber and a worm is a proven kid-catcher. On the Poudre, nymphing with small stoneflies, caddis pupa, and pheasant-tails moves fish most of the year; when the bugs come off, caddis and blue-winged-olive dries and mid-summer hoppers bring explosive takes.

Timing: fishing is open year-round. Spring runoff (roughly May into June) blows the Poudre out — prime time for the lakes. The river settles and fishes beautifully July through October, and once the lakes freeze, ice fishing for trout is a Red Feather winter tradition. Check the ice, and never go out alone.

For the freshest read on what is working right now, the local fly shops keep current Poudre and lake reports — Mountain Fly Shop and St. Peter’s Fly Shop both post regularly. A quick call or a stop in the shop is the surest way to learn the hot fly or bait that day.

Riddle Lake, Glacier View Meadows

Chris pulled this beauty out of Riddle Lake in Glacier View Meadows — private water, open to Glacier View residents and their guests only. If you know a local, it is worth making a friend.

Outfitters, Guides & Gear

Want a guide who knows every run on the Poudre, or the right flies and gear before you head up the canyon? A few Northern Colorado outfitters worth knowing:

Liar Flies

Liar Flies runs guided fly-fishing trips on the Cache la Poudre and beyond, led by longtime local guides — over twenty years on this river — who even hand-tie their own flies. (1-866-773-5128)

St. Peter’s Fly Shop

St. Peter’s Fly Shop has anchored Old Town Fort Collins since 1992 — rods, reels, flies, lures, and the local know-how to match, plus guided trips on the Poudre, the Big Thompson, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Stop in at 202 Remington Street. (970) 498-8968

Mountain Fly Shop

Mountain Fly Shop is another Fort Collins outfitter with deep Poudre knowledge — guided trips, a full gear selection, and current canyon fishing reports so you know what is working before you go.

Know a great local guide or shop we should feature? Tell us — we love sending anglers to the folks who know this water.

Plan Your Fishing Trip

Get your license, learn the water, pack out what you pack in, and get home safe on the canyon roads. Then explore the lakes, trails, and local businesses that make Northwest Larimer County worth the drive — and if you hunt too, see our hunting guide.