Fishing · NW Larimer County
Seaman Reservoir
A secluded hike-in reservoir at the mouth of the Poudre Canyon — trout plus record-class yellow perch.
Toggle USGS Topo / Terrain / Satellite / Street (top-right) · red = special-regulation water, confirm current rules · waters © CPW Colorado Fishing Atlas
Seaman Reservoir is tucked into the Poudre Canyon near Bellvue, about 15 miles from Fort Collins — and because you park at the Gateway Natural Area and hike roughly a mile in, it stays quiet and low-pressure. It is a favorite of anglers who like a little walk to earn their water.
The reservoir holds brown and rainbow trout along with yellow perch, green sunfish, and black bullhead — and it is famous for its perch: the Colorado state-record yellow perch was pulled from Seaman back in 2007. Below the dam, the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre runs down to meet the main river.
The Water
Elevation
5,481 ft
Fish
Trout, yellow perch, sunfish
Access
~1 mi hike from Gateway
Note
State-record perch water
Good to Know
- A valid Colorado fishing license is required — and it is always worth confirming the current, water-specific regulations before you fish.
- Access is a roughly one-mile hike from the Gateway Natural Area parking lot, which keeps fishing pressure low.
- Known for big yellow perch — the state record came from here in 2007 — alongside brown and rainbow trout.
- The North Fork of the Cache la Poudre runs from the dam down to the main river.
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.
Built by Many Hands — Give a Little Back
Love this guide? Wear it. Every hat, tee, and cozy layer in our Red Feather Lakes collection helps us keep mapping the water and keeping this guide free — mountain apparel designed right here in the high country.
Shop the Collection →This fishery doesn’t sustain itself. Every trout is stocked and every acre stewarded by the public agencies we lean on for this guide — if you love these waters, please pitch in for them too:
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife — the stocking, the fishery & the Colorado Fishing Atlas Donate →
- Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest (USFS) — the public land & lakes themselves Support →
- OpenStreetMap contributors — the Street basemap Donate →
- Google & USGS — location, ratings & topographic maps
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.