Fishing · NW Larimer County
Long Draw Reservoir
A remote alpine reservoir past 10,000 feet — cutthroat water near the Poudre headwaters, open only in summer.
Toggle USGS Topo / Terrain / Satellite / Street (top-right) · red = special-regulation water, confirm current rules · waters © CPW Colorado Fishing Atlas
Long Draw Reservoir is about as high and as far as you can drive to fish up here — better than 10,000 feet, out near the northern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park in the Poudre headwaters, roughly 35 miles west of Fort Collins as the crow flies. The road in usually does not open until late June and closes again by October, so this is strictly a summer-and-early-fall lake, tucked into bighorn-sheep country with big, quiet views.
It fishes for cutthroat, rainbow, and brown trout, and it sits at the heart of a long effort to restore native greenback cutthroat to the Cache la Poudre headwaters. Spinners tend to underperform here; casters do better with spoons and small lures, and fly anglers with streamers fished a few feet down. It is a drive, but the solitude and the setting are the payoff.
The Water
Elevation
10,108 ft
Fish
Cutthroat, rainbow & brown
Season
~Late June–October (road)
Setting
Remote alpine · Poudre headwaters
Good to Know
- A valid Colorado fishing license is required — always confirm the current rules before you fish.
- The access road is high and seasonal, typically open only from late June into October. Check conditions before you make the drive.
- Long Draw is part of a major effort to restore native greenback cutthroat trout to the Poudre headwaters.
- Remote, high, and without services — come prepared for cold, weather, and a long drive back out.
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.