Lake Dorothey SWA: hunting rules and access
Lake Dorothey SWA is 4,500 acres of State Wildlife Area in Las Animas County, Colorado, in game management unit 140. CPW lists bear, deer, elk and turkey for it, and its rules for the property run to 16 lines: 8 on its page for the property and 8 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Las Animas |
| Game management unit | 140 |
| Size | 4,500 acres |
| Coordinates | 37.0104, -104.3906 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Lake Dorothey SWA on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 5,619, against 4,500 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| Among CPW properties in unit 140 | 2nd largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 35% of their 12,700 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
A State Wildlife Area has its own rules on top of the statewide season rules. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Bear, Deer, Elk, Turkey.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Lake, Coldwater Stream.
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
A valid hunting or fishing license OR SWA pass is required for everyone 16 or older accessing this state wildlife area.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
- A. Access to trails A and B by foot, bicycle, and horseback only.
- B. Access to trails C and D by foot and horseback only. Access to all trails prohibited Dec. 1-April 30 and May 15-June 30, except for licensed spring turkey hunters.
- C. Parking and access from designated areas only.
- D. Hunting access is prohibited during the regular archery, muzzleloader, and rifle deer, elk, and bear seasons, except for licensed big game hunters that have a hunting access permit. Permits are issued through a drawing process. Applications for fall hunting access permits are available July 1 online and are due July 21.
- E. Trapping prohibited.
- F. Vessel use prohibited, except for hand-launched vessels propelled by hand when used as an aid for fishing.
- G. Camping allowed by licensed hunters during big game or spring and fall turkey season, plus 3 days before and 3 days after each season.
- H. Camping prohibited within 200 yards of Lake Dorothy or 100 feet of any stream, except in designated areas.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access to trails A & B is allowed by foot, bicycle, and horseback use only.
- b. Public access to trails C & D is allowed by foot and horseback only. Public access to these trails is prohibited from December 1 through April 30 and from May 15 through June 30, except for licensed spring turkey hunters.
- c. Parking and access is allowed from designated parking areas only.
- d. Hunting access is prohibited during the archery, muzzleloader, and regular rifle bear, deer and elk seasons, except for licensed big game hunters that have a hunting access permit. Permits are issued through a drawing process. Applications for fall hunting access permits are available July 1 online. Applications are due July 21. Permit holders must comply with all provisions of the hunting access permit.
- e. Trapping is prohibited.
- f. Vessel use is prohibited, except for hand-launched vessels that are propelled by hand when used as an aid for fishing.
- g. Camping is allowed by licensed hunters during an established big game, spring and fall turkey season plus three (3) days before and three (3) days after each season.
- h. Camping is prohibited within two hundred (200) yards of Lake Dorothey or one -hundred (100) feet of any stream, except in designated areas.
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 Lake Dorothey SWA 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 140, around Lake Dorothey SWA
- Elk in unit 140, 2024: 265 hunters in all seasons took 109 elk, 41% success. The rifle seasons alone: 125 hunters, 52%. Unit 140 elk by season
- Deer in unit 140, 2024: 183 hunters in all seasons took 45 deer, 25% success (2023: 29% from 203 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 134 hunters, 26%. Unit 140 deer by season
- Unit 140: 459 square miles in Las Animas County, 0% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 5,500 to 9,300 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 140
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:34 AM to 6:52 PM | E-E-085-O1-R either-sex | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:44 AM to 6:39 PM | E-F-085-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-M-140-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 5:58 AM to 5:24 PM | E-F-085-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull E-M-851-O3-R bull | D-M-140-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:09 AM to 5:16 PM | E-E-085-O4-R either-sex E-F-085-O4-R cow E-M-851-O4-R bull | D-M-140-O4-R buck |
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 140 elk, unit 140 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Lake Dorothey SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James M. John SWA | 3.5 miles | north-west | 8,405 | 140 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Oberosler Tract | 28.0 miles | north-west | 2,238 | 85 |
| Spanish Peaks SWA - Dochter Tract | 28.5 miles | north-west | 2,265 | 85 |
| Aguilar TV Hill STL | 29.1 miles | north-west | 435 | 85 |
| Bosque del Oso SWA | 30.9 miles | west | 30,543 | 85, 851 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
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.