Trappers Lake

Trappers Lake is a lake in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, which is in the White River National Forest in Colorado, United States. The lake, at an elevation of approximately 9600 ft (approximately 2900 m), is the source of the North Fork of the White River. It is located in Garfield County east of the town of Meeker and west of the town of Yampa. The lake is roughly a mile and a half (2.4 km) long and half a mile (800 m) wide reaching depths of 180 feet (55 m). It is surrounded by the Flat Tops Mountains, the most striking of which is the large semicircular Amphitheater which has a height of 1,650 ft (503m). Trappers Lake is the second-largest natural lake in Colorado after Grand Lake.[1]

Trappers Lake
June 2005
Trappers Lake Show map of Colorado Trappers Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Flat Tops Wilderness Area, Garfield County, Colorado, US
Coordinates	39.986°N 107.231°W / 39.986; -107.231
Primary outflows	North Fork of the White River
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	2.4 km (1.5 mi)
Max. width	800 m (2,600 ft)

There is a large camping area and lodge near the lake. Trappers Lake is an excellent fishing lake for cutthroat trout. All Cutthroat trout regardless of size must be released when caught, but you can keep brook trout (according to signage around the lake as of June 2014). Only artificial flies and lures are permitted. No motorized boats are allowed. About 17,000 acres (69 km²) of forest surrounding the lake were burned by the Big Fish wildfire, started by lightning, in July 2002.

The area around the lake was put largely off limits to development in 1920, due to the recommendation of Arthur Carhart, hired by the Forest Service to make a survey for a road around the lake. It was the first such Forest Service property to be set aside in this manner. Because of this, some considered it the birthplace of the U.S. Wilderness Area system.

From the northeast side of the lake looking to the southwest: July 2007