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Colorado · Fishing
Longmont sits in a sweet spot between the Front Range foothills and the plains, and that geography shows up in its fishing. The area is almost entirely still-water fishing — lakes, reservoirs, and ponds rather than moving water — so if you're coming expecting wade fishing, adjust your expectations.
19 spotsUpdated dailyFree to access
View on mapFishing · 19 spots
Longmont sits in a sweet spot between the Front Range foothills and the plains, and that geography shows up in its fishing. The area is almost entirely still-water fishing — lakes, reservoirs, and ponds rather than moving water — so if you're coming expecting wade fishing, adjust your expectations. What you do get is a solid spread of 19 fishable waters within city reach, ranging from small urban ponds like Yellow Legs Pond, Mallard Pond, and Sandpiper Pond to larger reservoirs like McIntosh Lake, Dodd Reservoir, and Left Hand Reservoir. St. Vrain State Park anchors the eastern end of the scene, with Coot Pond and Pelican Pond offering accessible shoreline fishing that works well for families and beginners. The reservoir options — Trevarton, Bellmire, Foothills, Divide, and Steele Brothers Reservoir Number 1 among them — tend to have more room to spread out and are worth the extra few minutes of driving if crowds are a concern. None of the waters in this list carry a gold-medal or wild-trout designation, so this is practical, accessible fishing rather than a destination trophy fishery. That said, for an afternoon on the water close to town, Longmont has more options than most Front Range cities its size.
The ponds at St. Vrain State Park — Coot Pond and Pelican Pond — are good starting points because the park infrastructure means parking, restrooms, and flat shoreline access are all sorted. Mallard Pond, Sandpiper Pond, and Yellow Legs Pond are smaller and easy to fish from the bank without a boat or much gear. Shorter attention spans do better on smaller water where you can move around easily.
Shore fishing works at most of the ponds and smaller lakes on this list. The larger reservoirs — Left Hand Reservoir, Dodd Reservoir, Divide Reservoir, and Foothills Reservoir — have more fishable water if you have a kayak or small boat, but they're not inaccessible from shore. A basic spinning rod and the ability to cast 30 to 40 feet covers most situations here.
Fairgrounds Lake
~2 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
McIntosh Lake
~2 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Burch Lake
~6 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Crystal Lake
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
McCall Lake
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Divide Reservoir
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Bellmire Reservoir
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Trevarton Reservoir
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Highland Reservoir Number 2
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Left Hand Reservoir
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Foothills Reservoir
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Steele Brothers Reservoir Number 1
~10 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
lakeLake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
pondLake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Lake fishing
Longmont, CO
Early morning and the two hours before sunset are consistently the most productive windows on still water, especially in summer when midday heat pushes fish deeper. Spring and fall are more forgiving about timing — you can fish through midday without much penalty. In winter, midday is actually your best window since water temperatures peak then.
You need a valid Colorado fishing license, available through Colorado Parks and Wildlife online or at local sporting goods stores. St. Vrain State Park also requires a park pass or day-use fee on top of your fishing license. Check the current CPW regulations for any specific rules at individual waters before you go — some urban ponds have gear restrictions or catch limits that differ from statewide defaults.
Honest answer: it's more local convenience than destination fishing. None of these waters are designated gold-medal or wild-trout fisheries, so anglers traveling specifically to fish the Front Range would likely prioritize waters elsewhere. For Longmont residents or anyone already in the area, having 19 accessible still-water options within a short drive is genuinely useful, and a few hours at McIntosh Lake or one of the St. Vrain ponds is a solid way to spend an afternoon.
