North Sterling Lake

24005 County Road 330, Sterling, CO. 80751 (MAP) – Front Range – fees & reservations

About North Sterling Reservoir

North Sterling Lake is popular for boating, fishing, prairie sunshine, and pioneer history. It all comes together at this nearly 3,000-acre reservoir on the Eastern Plains, 111 miles east of Fort Collins. Some early pioneers on the historic Overland Trail settled here to build this irrigation reservoir, now part of this state park.

Activities at North Sterling Park

Today’s visitors come here to sail, jet and water ski, canoe, paddleboard, powerboat, or relax and enjoy the majestic bluffs and expansive views of the Colorado prairie stretching miles to the horizon. Anglers will find an excellent warm-water fishery featuring wiper, walleye, channel catfish, yellow perch, bluegill, crappie, and trout. There is swimming at the Cottonwood Cove Swim Beach, and the 3.5-mile South Shoreline Trail lets hikers, bikers, and horseback riders explore the lakeshore.

Wildlife watchers will find abundant prairie species, including pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, prairie dogs, and various reptiles. This is a great place for bird watching, particularly in migration, with more than 275 species on the bird list. Winter is a good time to see bald eagles. The three campgrounds offer 141 campsites available on a reservation-only basis. All campgrounds have showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities, making a multi-day stay at the park comfortable. Hunting in designated areas is restricted to archery and shotguns with birdshot only. — Back to All State Parks.