Wellington SWA: hunting rules and access
Wellington SWA is one of 3 parts of Wellington SWA that CPW lists on one page (1,793 acres in all); CPW's map draws this part as 1,793 acres. It is a State Wildlife Area in Larimer and Weld Counties, Colorado, in game management unit 87. CPW lists dove, pheasant, rabbit and waterfowl for it, and its rules for the property run to 18 lines: 8 on its page for the property and 10 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| Counties | Larimer and Weld |
| Game management unit | 87 |
| Size | 1,793 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.7146, -104.9583 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Wellington SWA on the map |
| This part, as CPW maps it | 1,793 acres. The size above is CPW's figure for all 3 parts of Wellington SWA |
| Among CPW properties in unit 87 | Wellington SWA as a whole is the 3rd largest of 10 by the acres on CPW's pages, 16% of their 11,410 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
Dove, Pheasant, 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
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. Wellington and Schware units open only July 16-March 14.
- B. Wellington Unit closed from first day of regular waterfowl season to first day of pheasant season, except Sat., Sun., Wed. and state and federal holidays.
- C. Hunting with centerfire rifles prohibited.
- D. Target practice prohibited except when authorized by Area Wildlife Manager.
- E. Vessel use prohibited except hand-propelled vessels used in dog training, field trials or to hunt waterfowl.
- F. Field trials may be authorized on Wellington and Schware units Feb., March 1-14 and Aug. Trials may be authorized on Cobb Lake Unit year round.
- G. Domestic, feral or privately owned game birds may be released with permit for dog training on Cobb Lake Unit. All birds taken shall be removed, and all privately owned game birds shall be prepared for human consumption.
- H. Horse use prohibited, except at Cobb Lake Unit during field trials.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited on the Wellington and Schware Units from March 15 through July 15.
- b. Public access is prohibited on the Wellington Unit from the first day of the regular waterfowl season to the first day of the pheasant season, except on Saturday, Sundays, Wednesday and state and federal holidays.
- c. Hunting with centerfire rifles is prohibited.
- d. Target practice is prohibited, except when authorized by the area wildlife manager.
- e. Vessel use is prohibited, except for launching and use of vessels that are propelled by hand and used for waterfowl hunting, dog training or field trials.
- f. Field trials may be authorized on the Wellington and Schware units during February, March 1 through 14, and August only. Field trials may be authorized on the Cobb Lake Unit year-round.
- g. Game birds listed in #009(B) of these regulations may be released on the Cobb Lake Unit by the Division or its agent for educational or training purposes without seasonal or numerical restrictions.
- h. Domestic birds, feral birds, or privately-owned game birds may be released year-round for dog training on the Cobb Lake Unit by permit only, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and other applicable regulations, including, but not limited to, #007, #008, #009, #801 and #804 of these regulations. All such birds taken during training activities shall be removed from the State Wildlife Area by the dog training permittee and all privately-owned game birds shall be prepared for human consumption.
- i. Horse use is prohibited, except at the Cobb Lake Unit, where horses may be used during field trials.
- j. The Division is authorized to implement a dog training reservation system should overcrowding become an issue on the State Wildlife Area.
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 Wellington 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 87, around Wellington SWA
- Elk in unit 87, 2024: 82 hunters in all seasons took 22 elk, 27% success (2023: 28% from 94 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 75 hunters, 29%. Unit 87 elk by season
- Deer in unit 87, 2024: 450 hunters in all seasons took 152 deer, 34% success (2023: 17% from 581 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 428 hunters, 34%. Unit 87 deer by season
- Unit 87: 1,116 square miles in Larimer and Weld Counties, 15.7% national forest and 0% BLM land, from 4,900 to 6,100 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.
Nearest CPW properties to Wellington SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington SWA - Schware Unit | 2.4 miles | south-west | 160 | 87 |
| Wellington SWA - Cobb Lake Unit | 3.8 miles | south | 308 | 87 |
| Douglas Reservoir SWA | 6.5 miles | west | 765 | 9 |
| Watson Lake SWA | 12.3 miles | south-west | 149 | 19 |
| Poudre River STL | 13.6 miles | west | 4,657 | 191 |
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 87
Briggsdale STLCrow Valley STLEastman Basin STLGeary Creek STLHoward Creek STLKeota STLPawnee Coal Creek STLRobinson Creek STLStone Corral 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.