Rio Blanco Lake SWA: hunting rules and access
Rio Blanco Lake SWA is 383 acres of State Wildlife Area in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, in game management units 11 and 22. CPW lists rabbit and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 14 lines: 6 on its page for the property and 8 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Rio Blanco |
| Game management unit | 11, 22 |
| Size | 383 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.0820, -108.1883 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Rio Blanco Lake SWA on the map |
| Acres inside the boundary CPW maps | 1,207, against 383 on CPW's page. Both are CPW's own figures, and they do not agree |
| Among CPW properties in unit 11 | 22nd largest of 22 by the acres on CPW's pages, under 1% of their 66,122 acres together |
| Among CPW properties in unit 22 | 2nd largest of 2 by the acres on CPW's pages, 1% of their 25,576 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
Rabbit, Waterfowl.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Stream, 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
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. Parking in designated areas only, and access to Roselund Unit is day-use only.
- B. Big game archery hunting only.
- C. Water contact activities and the launching and use of vessels allowed.
- D. Camping allowed.
- E. Dogs must be under control and on leash by handler, except service animals or when actively hunting, training for hunting or during licensed field trials.
- F. Fires allowed within a containment structure.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access to the Rosenlund Unit is allowed for day use only.
- b. Parking and public access is allowed from designated parking areas only.
- c. Hunting big game is allowed with archery equipment only.
- d. Launching and use of all vessels is allowed.
- e. Water contact activities are allowed.
- f. Camping is allowed.
- g. Fires are allowed within a containment structure.
- h. Dogs are allowed but must be kept under control on a physical leash by the handler at all times except as authorized in #900(C)(15).
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 Rio Blanco Lake 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.
Units 11 and 22, around Rio Blanco Lake SWA
- Elk in unit 11, 2024: 2,467 hunters in all seasons took 623 elk, 25% success (2023: 16% from 2,698 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 2,104 hunters, 27%. Unit 11 elk by season
- Deer in unit 11, 2024: 600 hunters in all seasons took 288 deer, 48% success (2023: 44% from 537 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 560 hunters, 51%. Unit 11 deer by season
- Unit 11: 611 square miles in Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties, 0% national forest and 60.5% BLM land, from 5,600 to 7,700 feet.
- Elk in unit 22, 2024: 2,668 hunters in all seasons took 770 elk, 29% success (2023: 18% from 2,761 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 1,843 hunters, 32%. Unit 22 elk by season
- Deer in unit 22, 2024: 494 hunters in all seasons took 293 deer, 59% success (2023: 67% from 479 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 410 hunters, 65%. Unit 22 deer by season
- Unit 22: 989 square miles in Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties, 0% national forest and 69.4% BLM land, from 5,700 to 8,500 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 units 11 and 22
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:52 AM to 7:04 PM | E-E-021-O1-R either-sex E-F-011-O1-R cow E-F-021-O1-R cow E-M-011-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 7:03 AM to 6:50 PM | E-F-011-O2-R cow E-F-021-O2-R cow E-F-131-O2-R cow E-F-231-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-011-O2-R doe D-F-022-O2-R doe D-M-011-O2-R buck D-M-022-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:19 AM to 5:33 PM | E-F-011-O3-R cow E-F-021-O3-R cow E-F-131-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-011-O3-R doe D-F-012-O3-R doe D-F-022-O3-R doe D-M-011-O3-R buck D-M-012-O3-R buck D-M-022-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:32 AM to 5:24 PM | E-E-021-O4-R either-sex E-F-011-O4-R cow E-F-021-O4-R cow E-F-131-O4-R cow E-M-011-O4-R bull E-M-025-O4-R bull E-M-131-O4-R bull | D-M-011-O4-R buck D-M-012-O4-R buck D-M-022-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 11 elk, unit 11 deer, unit 22 elk, unit 22 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Rio Blanco Lake SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piceance SWA - North Ridge Unit | 2.7 miles | south-west | 13,064 | 11, 21, 22, 31 |
| Piceance SWA - Little Hills Unit | 6.7 miles | south | 1,806 | 11, 21, 22, 31 |
| Colorow Mountain SWA | 7.6 miles | north-east | 1,983 | 11 |
| Piceance SWA - Yellow Creek Unit | 8.9 miles | west | 1,468 | 11, 21, 22, 31 |
| Ted's Canyon STL | 11.3 miles | north-west | 640 | 11 |
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 units 11, 22
Bitter Brush SWACedar Springs STLCitadel STLCoal Creek STLCrooked Wash Ranch SWA (Limited Access Easement)Cross Mountain STLDouglas Mountain STLElk Springs #1 STLElk Springs Ranch SWAHightower STLHomestead STLLone Tree Gulch STLMaybell STLPeck Mesa STL
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
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