2019-12-08 23:49:49
Load up your tackle box and picnic basket to create lasting family memories on a Colorado fishing adventure. The fishing is great at these spots, but they made the list because they offer much more. Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides a wealth of information about fishing with your little ones. Take a look at their suggestions for making the most of the family fishing experience and their interactive map of the top 101-ish places to take a kid fishing. Everyone 16 and up must have a fishing license. One-day and five-day passes can also be purchased. cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/Pages/Fishing.aspx 1 LATHROP STATE PARK Nestled in the shadow of the Spanish Peaks in Walsenburg, this park offers a gentle climate and a youth fishing pond for kids 15 and under — as well as two lakes for the older folks. 2 WONDERLAND LAKE Ringed by an easy hiking loop, this north Boulder foothills gem is just the right speed for families not wanting to drive too far. The lake is a popular paragliding spot and you can watch the gliders launch from the top of Wonderland Hill. 3 CORN LAKE Just outside Grand Junction, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout and offers restrooms, a bike trail and picnic tables. Visitors can enjoy hiking, wildlife watching and educational activities in the nearby Colorado River Wildlife Area. 4 ST. VRAIN STATE PARK This Firestone site’s Sandpiper and Mallard ponds win best spots for kids thanks to its proximity to the parking lot and restrooms. There are easy hiking trails and camping for making a night of it. 5 ORDWAY RESERVOIR Just north of Ordway in southeast Colorado, this little gem is a peaceful spot for hookin’ some rainbows. For those with boats or Jet Skis, two nearby spots — Lake Meredith and Lake Henry — are a stone’s throw away. 6 BEAR CREEK LAKE PARK Denver’s cityscape gives way to scenic foothills in Lakewood. The fam will love fishing on the piers and the park has a visitor center, swim beach and trails. 7 PA-CO-CHU-PUK PONDS AT RIDGWAY STATE PARK The park’s two rainbow-trout-stocked ponds are close to two important sites: a bathroom and a fish-cleaning station. There’s also a swim beach and summer programs for kids, including archery, birding walks, hawk quests and more. 8 AKRON POND This northeastern site keeps things cool with shady areas, sheltered picnic tables and regularly stocked trout in the summer months, as well as good-sized bass and catfish so everyone can come away a winner. 9 GYPSUM PONDS Close to I-70 and the town of Gypsum, the ponds are easy to access and stocked with rainbow and cutthroat trout. You might see deer, great blue herons, owls, bald eagles, redtail hawks and more. For more, check out the CPW Fishing App. FOR MORE SERIOUS FISHERS ►COLORADO.com/WesternCOFlyFishingHotSpots ►COLORADO.com/GreatPlacestoFishInColorado 300 Number of miles of Gold Medal streams providing angling opportunities for large trout. These waters are managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to ensure populations of big fish and big smiles for anglers.
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