Willow Creek Reservoir SWA: hunting rules and access
Willow Creek Reservoir SWA is 200 acres of State Wildlife Area in Grand County, Colorado, in game management unit 18. CPW lists small game 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 Wildlife Area |
|---|---|
| County | Grand |
| Game management unit | 18 |
| Size | 200 acres |
| Coordinates | 40.1390, -105.9280 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Willow Creek Reservoir SWA on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 18 | 5th largest of 5 by the acres on CPW's pages, 3% of their 6,230 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
Small game, Waterfowl.
Fishing, as CPW lists it: Fishing Opportunities, Coldwater Lake.
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 allowed while fishing, small-game, and waterfowl hunting only.
- B. Access allowed only through designated access points as posted.
- C. Hunting with centerfire rifles prohibited.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Public access is prohibited, except while fishing, small game, and waterfowl hunting.
- b. Public access is allowed only through designated access points as posted.
- c. Hunting with centerfire rifles prohibited.
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 Willow Creek Reservoir 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 18, around Willow Creek Reservoir SWA
- Elk in unit 18, 2024: 4,997 hunters in all seasons took 662 elk, 13% success (2023: 10% from 5,500 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 3,544 hunters, 15%. Unit 18 elk by season
- Deer in unit 18, 2024: 609 hunters in all seasons took 110 deer, 18% success (2023: 23% from 1,470 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 489 hunters, 21%. Unit 18 deer by season
- Unit 18: 645 square miles in Grand County, 52.4% national forest and 10.4% BLM land, from 7,600 to 12,300 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 18
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:43 AM to 6:55 PM | E-E-018-O1-R either-sex E-F-018-O1-R cow | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:54 AM to 6:41 PM | E-F-018-O2-R cow E-F-181-O2-R cow E-M-000-U2-R bull | D-F-018-O2-R doe D-M-018-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:10 AM to 5:24 PM | E-F-018-O3-R cow E-F-181-O3-R cow E-M-000-U3-R bull | D-F-018-O3-R doe D-M-018-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:23 AM to 5:15 PM | E-E-018-O4-R either-sex E-F-018-O4-R cow E-F-181-O4-R cow | D-M-018-O4-R buck D-M-027-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 18 elk, unit 18 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Willow Creek Reservoir SWA
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mountain SWA | 4.4 miles | south-east | 161 | 28 |
| Granby Ranch (Conservation Easement) | 5.1 miles | south | 446 | 28 |
| Hot Sulphur Springs SWA | 12.4 miles | south-west | 2,115 | 18, 28 |
| Kemp Breeze SWA | 14.9 miles | south-west | 1,711 | 18, 28 |
| Ptarmigan STL | 15.5 miles | south | 650 | 28 |
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 18
Slide Mountain STLTroublesome Valley Ranch 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.