Blue Lake STL: hunting rules and access
Blue Lake STL is 60,323 acres of State Trust Land in Bent County, Colorado, in game management unit 125. CPW lists coyote, deer, pronghorn, rabbit and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 6 lines: 3 on its page for the property and 3 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Trust Land |
|---|---|
| County | Bent |
| Game management unit | 125 |
| Size | 60,323 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.2038, -103.2881 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Blue Lake STL on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 53,408, against 60,323 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| Among CPW properties in unit 125 | The largest of 9 by the acres on CPW's pages, 47% of their 129,536 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
State Trust Land is closed to the public unless CPW leases it, and this parcel is open only on the terms printed below. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Coyote, Deer, Pronghorn, Rabbit, Waterfowl.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Warm Water.
A species on this list is one CPW names for the property. It still needs an open season, the right license for the unit, and nothing in the restrictions below against it on your dates.
Who may enter
Everyone age 16 years or older MUST have a valid hunting or fishing license to access a state trust land.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- a. Islands closed May 15 - Aug. 31 on Adobe Creek Reservoir.
- b. Foot access only, through designated parking areas only.
- c. Camping permitted as posted.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Open for public fishing access year-round.
- b. Public access is prohibited on the islands from May 15 through August 31.
- c. Camping is allowed as posted.
From CPW regulations, chapter W-9 (Wildlife Properties), 2 CCR 406-9, dated July 16, 2026.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Blue Lake STL as it read on October 8, 2026 and from the regulations for CPW properties. CPW can change them or close the property at any time, signs on the ground count, and a rule that names a season moves with that season each year.
Unit 125, around Blue Lake STL
- Elk in unit 125, 2024: 36 hunters in all seasons took 5 elk, 14% success. The rifle seasons alone: 36 hunters, 14%. Unit 125 elk by season
- Deer in unit 125, 2024: 198 hunters in all seasons took 64 deer, 32% success (2023: 27% from 264 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 117 hunters, 41%. Unit 125 deer by season
- Unit 125: 585 square miles in Bent, Crowley, Kiowa and Otero Counties, 0% national forest and 0.8% BLM land, from 3,900 to 4,400 feet.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife survey estimates for the whole unit, private land included. They are not figures for this property, and whether elk or deer may be hunted here is in CPW's list above.
2026 elk and deer rifle hunt codes for unit 125
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:41 AM to 6:33 PM | D-E-125-O2-R either-sex D-F-125-O2-R doe |
A code valid in the unit is not permission to hunt this property: the property's own list and restrictions decide that. Legal light is half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset at the coordinates above, on the Colorado clock; the state's printed table is the rule. Archery, muzzleloader, late and private-land codes are on the unit pages: unit 125 elk, unit 125 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Blue Lake STL
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn Pond SWA | 7.9 miles | south | 30 | 125 |
| Karney Ranch SWA | 11.3 miles | east | 13,865 | 126 |
| Fort Lyon SWA | 11.4 miles | south-east | 523 | 125 |
| Karney STL | 11.6 miles | east | 1,022 | 126 |
| Oxbow SWA | 13.0 miles | south-west | 410 | 125, 130 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
More CPW properties in unit 125
Holbrook Reservoir SWALa Junta STLMelon Valley SWARocky Ford SWATimberlake STL
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
A FilledTag plan checks the rules of any CPW property it uses against your species and your dates, and gives you one exact plan: where to park, camp and sit, with every pin checked against public land and road rules.