Trappers Lake, elevation , is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the

Flat Tops Wilderness Area Flat Tops Wilderness Area is the second largest U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado. It is , with in Routt National Forest and in White River National Forest. It was designated a wilderness area in 1975. Trappers Lake, located in the north of the ...

, which is in the

White River National Forest White River National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River (Green River), White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is located in Garfield County east of the town of Meeker and west of the town of

Yampa Yampa is a Colorado municipalities#Statutory town, statutory town in Routt County, Colorado, Routt County, Colorado, United States. The population was 429 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. City name is the Ute dialect, Northern U ...

. The lake is roughly a mile and a half (2.4 km) long and half a mile (800 m) wide reaching depths of 180 feet (55 m). It is surrounded by the Flat Tops Mountains, the most striking of which is the large semicircular Amphitheater which has a height of 1,650 ft (503m). Trappers Lake is the second-largest natural lake in Colorado after Grand Lake. There is a large camping area and lodge near the lake. Trappers Lake is an excellent fishing lake for

cutthroat trout The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus '' Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific tro ...

. All Cutthroat trout regardless of size must be released when caught, but you can keep

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

(according to signage around the lake as of June 2014). Only artificial flies and lures are permitted. No motorized boats are allowed. About of

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

surrounding the lake were burned by the Big Fish

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

, started by lightning, in July 2002. The area around the lake was put largely off limits to development in 1920, due to the recommendation of

Arthur Carhart Arthur Hawthorne Carhart (1892–1978) was a US Forest Service official, writer and conservationist who inspired wilderness protection in the United States. He was one of the first to realize the importance of conservation and became a nationally r ...

, hired by the Forest Service to make a survey for a road around the lake. It was the first such Forest Service property to be set aside in this manner. Because of this, some have considered it the birthplace of the

U.S. Wilderness Area The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

system.

References

External links

*
Colorado FishingGoogle Maps Satellite Image
{{authority control Bodies of water of Garfield County, Colorado Lakes of Colorado White River National Forest

See also

References

External links