Fishing · NW Larimer County
Watson Lake
A stocked lake at the mouth of the canyon by the Bellvue-Watson hatchery — trout, warmwater fishing, and easy access.
Toggle USGS Topo / Terrain / Satellite / Street (top-right) · red = special-regulation water, confirm current rules · waters © CPW Colorado Fishing Atlas
Watson Lake sits at the base of Rist Canyon near Bellvue, right where the Poudre spills out of the foothills — a lake tucked alongside the Bellvue-Watson Fish Hatchery, one of the state’s long-running cold-water hatcheries. It is a friendly, easy-to-reach place to fish, open year-round, and a favorite with families: for a small fee you can even feed the trout at the hatchery ponds.
The lake is stocked and holds a mix you don’t often find this close to the mountains — trout alongside warmwater species like catfish, panfish, and bass — and the Cache la Poudre River runs right by with its wild browns and rainbows. It is a State Wildlife Area, so everyone 16 and older needs a fishing license or an SWA pass to be here.
The Water
Elevation
5,113 ft
Type
Stocked lake + river
Fish
Trout, catfish, panfish, bass
Season
Open year-round
Good to Know
- This is a State Wildlife Area — a valid Colorado fishing license OR an SWA pass is required for everyone 16 and older.
- Home to the Bellvue-Watson Fish Hatchery, which is free to visit; for a small fee you can feed the trout — a great outing with kids.
- Open year-round, with both trout and warmwater species in the lake and the Cache la Poudre running alongside.
- Watch for waterfowl — the lake draws thousands of birds in spring and 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.
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.