St. Vrain State Park
State Park in Firestone, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office: Daily, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
3785 Weld County Road 24 ½
Firestone, CO 80504
United States
St. Vrain State Park
State Park in Firestone, CO
Hours:
Park: Daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Office: Daily, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
- Leashed Dogs
- Service Animals
- Horses
Park Address:
3785 Weld County Road 24 ½
Firestone, CO 80504
United States
Park Highlight
Explore the Water
St. Vrain is a nature- and people-friendly park offering 228 acres of water (not including wetlands and rivers), split among several ponds. Come boat, walk on the trails, fish or just enjoy the natural beauty. Anglers will find many opportunities to seek out their next big catch from the modern, accessible fishing piers. The ponds are stocked several times a year with selected species.
Blue Heron Reservoir
Gas powered motors are permitted on Blue Heron Reservoir along with hand-launched vessels that must be operated at wakeless speeds. There is a boat ramp, trailer parking and restrooms available. Catch and release bass fishing is popular.
Ponds
Hand-launched vessels that are hand or foot propelled or with electric trolling motors, along with inflatable devices with two or more chambers, are permitted on all ponds. Twelve species of fish can be caught.
Reservoir and Pond Facilities
Facilities
Blue Heron Reservoir has a boat ramp and parking for boat trailers. The boat ramp is located on the Northeast corner of Blue Heron Reservoir at the Blue Heron Reservoir Parking area.
Anglers have a place to dangle their lines from universally accessible fishing piers at Pelican and Sandpiper ponds. There are also stone fishing platforms located in Pelican, Mallard, Sandpiper, Bald Eagle and Coot ponds. These fishing piers are available for all visitors to use, but please be courteous to your fellow anglers and allow space for those with disabilities or limited mobility.
Boating and Fishing
Ponds
Boats that are hand or foot propelled or with electric trolling motors are permitted on all ponds. Inflatable devices that contain two or more chambers are also permitted. All boats must be hand launched on ponds without boat ramps.
Blue Heron Reservoir
Gas powered motors are permitted on Blue Heron Reservoir, but must be operated at wakeless speeds. There is a boat ramp, trailer parking and restrooms available for boaters on Blue Heron Reservoir.
Fishing
Fishing is one of the most popular activities at St. Vrain State Park. Trout fishing is excellent from fall through spring. Fishing poles must be attended at all times. Bowfishing for carp, suckers and northern pike is permissible with a valid fishing license. Bowfishing or gigging is allowed for bullfrogs as well, during the legal season.
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing is allowed when conditions permit. Ice fishing is very productive in the winter months on our trout ponds, as well as for walleye and crappie. Please use caution when ice fishing. Have proper safety equipment and follow safety guidelines.
Fish Species and Bag Limits
See the Fishing Atlas for fishable species at this location and the Fishing Brochure (PDF) for daily bag limits.
Fishing Awards and Records for Elkhead
Colorado Parks and Wildlife awards anglers who catch big fish. Visit the Fishing Awards and Records page for more records.
Bald Eagle Pond
Fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish and yellow perch.
- Bald Eagle Pond is artificial fly and lure only; no bait of any kind is permitted.
- Scented flies or scented lures may be used on this water if they are 1.5 inches or longer.
- All largemouth and smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately upon catch.
Great Blue Heron Reservoir
Fish for channel catfish, black crappie, redear sunfish, largemouth bass and walleye.
- Blue Heron Pond is also a trophy catfish water: Anglers are permitted one catfish over 20 inches in length out of their total creel limit of 10.
- All largemouth and smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately upon catch.
- Fishing from the boat dock at Blue Heron Reservoir is prohibited.
- No fishing is permitted from or across the boat ramp or boat dock.
Sandpiper Pond
Sandpiper Pond has two concrete piers, on the southern and western shorelines. Both are located near parking spaces and are connected to the parking area by a paved footpath. The southern pier has a restroom close by, but the western pier does not.
Fish for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish and yellow perch.
Mallard Pond
Mallard Pond has a concrete boardwalk with a safety rail circling the back side of the Barbour Ponds Camper Services Building. Parking and restrooms are available close by.
Fish for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish and yellow perch.
Pelican Pond
Pelican Pond has three accessible fishing piers. One is located in Pelican Camp Loop, across from Sites 12 and 13, with its own parking spaces and a restroom nearby. Two more fishing piers are located off the Pelican Pond Trail — one is just a few hundred feet up the trail from the eastern trailhead, while the other is about a quarter-mile in along the northeastern corner of Pelican Pond.
Fish for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, reader sunfish and saugeye.
Bring the Brochures with You
Fishing Brochure
Read up on the location you want to fish before you head out.
Download the BrochureLand and Water Regulations Brochure
Have a question about regulations? Check the brochure.
Download the BrochureAquatic Nuisance Species at St. Vrain
To boat on the reservoir, a pre-launch boat inspection for aquatic nuisance species (ANS) at the boat ramp, an ANS stamp and a current boat registration are required. Eurasian watermilfoil has been detected in the reservoir at St. Vrain.
Non-motorized, hand-launched kayaks, canoes, rafts, belly boats, float tubes, paddle boards and foldable boats do not need to be inspected.
Inspection Locations
There are no ANS inspections for boats at St. Vrain State Park. Please remember to have your boat inspected ahead of time. The closest ANS inspection locations are at Boulder Reservoir, Barr Lake State Park, Boyd Lake State Park and Stanley Lake. See the list linked below for details.
Colorado ANS Inspection Sites
Water Activities
Swimming
Swimming is allowed on all ponds at St. Vrain. However, there are some things you should consider before you go:
- Swim at your own risk! There are no lifeguards or rescue stations.
- Swimming is not recommended in water colder than 70 degrees.
- Any children under 13 years old must be accompanied by an adult if swimming.
- No single-chamber, inflatable swim toys are permitted on any of the ponds.