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Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area hunting access and seasons
State wildlife area in Hinsdale County (520 acres).
Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 4.0)
Getting to Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Entry requirements for Brown Lakes SWA
The statewide SWA rule covers Brown Lakes SWA: visitors 16+ carry a hunting license, a fishing license or the State Wildlife Area Pass. Keep trucks on open roads; pitch a tent only in places CPW allows. A blind or stand must be portable and can be placed at most 30 days before the season. Discharge of firearms or bows is banned in parking, camping and picnic areas.
From the agency source, CPW SWA finder; checked November 5, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area
What the agency says about Brown Lakes SWA
Going by the CPW SWA page, Brown Lakes SWA covers 520 acres. 224 state wildlife areas appear on this site, and by acres Brown Lakes SWA comes 140th. Within Hinsdale County there are 3 state wildlife areas on file. For CPW purposes Brown Lakes SWA belongs to Area 17 in the Southwest Region, district Creede. Call 719-587-6900 (Area CPW Office, Monte Vista) about conditions on Brown Lakes SWA. In the 2026 brochure the hunting entry reads: waterfowl. Anglers will find cold-water lake on the same ground. Non-hunting uses noted: wildlife viewing, picnicking. The CPW page marks camping as not offered on Brown Lakes SWA.
The listed quarry: Waterfowl.
Allowed activities per CPW: Hunting, Fishing, Picnicking, Nature Viewing Facilities Restrooms, Boat Ramp.
From the agency page, 2026 Recreation Lands brochure, p. 7 (Colorado Parks and Wildlife); retrieved 2026-11-04, checked November 5, 2026.
Open seasons for Brown Lakes SWA species
Brown Lakes SWA lists no deer, elk or other big game; use the bird and small game dates below.
| Game | Hunt | Area | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ducks and coots | Season | Eastern zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Mountain zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks and coots | Season (split) | Western zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 |
| Dark geese | San Luis Valley season (split) | Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 |
| Dark geese | Season | except zone | Nov 2, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 |
Season rows from the 2026 Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; property rules still apply; checked November 5, 2026.
Which units cover Brown Lakes SWA
The CPW unit layer puts Brown Lakes SWA in 1 GMU: GMU 76.
No antler point limit on bulls in the units of Brown Lakes SWA. Lion hunters check the quota for group 14 before going out. GMU 76 lie in the lynx recovery area, with extra trapping and lure rules.
Read these as whole-unit numbers: the biggest 2024 total among them was 518 elk in GMU 76.
GMU overlay from the CPW Big Game GMU layer; unit rules from the 2026 Big Game brochure; 2024 elk harvest by GMU, 2024 deer harvest by GMU, 2024 pronghorn harvest by GMU, 2024 bear harvest by GMU; checked November 5, 2026.
Brown Lakes SWA route and map files
Directions from the 2026 brochure: From Creede, go 25 miles W on Highway 149 to USFS Road 515 (Hermit Lakes Road). Go 1.5 miles W.
Its map point, 37.8218, -107.1944, comes from the boundary layer.
Directions from the 2026 Colorado State Recreation Lands brochure; map files from the CPW property page; point from CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid of the largest part); checked November 5, 2026.
Towns and outfitters within reach of Brown Lakes SWA
Count on City of Creede, about 15 miles out, as the first town for supplies. Census 2024 counts 912 people in Ouray, the largest nearby. The nearest CPW office is in Gunnison, 52 miles away.
| Community | County | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Creede | Mineral | 281 | 15 miles | east |
| Lake City | Hinsdale | 413 | 15 miles | northwest |
| Cathedral | Hinsdale | – | 20 miles | northeast |
| Silverton | San Juan | 731 | 26 miles | west |
| Ouray | Ouray | 912 | 30 miles | northwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); CPW offices from the CPW Contact Us page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 5, 2026.
Public places a short drive from Brown Lakes SWA
The closest other public ground is Mason Family SWA, 22 miles to the northeast. Within the six nearest places are 3 SWAs, 2 trust land parcels and 1 national forest. Closed to hunting nearby: Road Canyon Reservoir State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting), Rito Hondo Reservoir State Wildlife Area (CPW lists no hunting) and Wind in the Willows (Fishing Easement) (CPW lists no hunting).
| Area | Kind | Acres | County | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Family SWA | SWA | 1,429 | Hinsdale | 22 miles | northeast |
| Williams Creek Reservoir SWA | SWA | 508 | Hinsdale | 22 miles | south |
| Sultan Creek STL | State trust land | 640 | San Juan | 28 miles | west |
| Coller SWA | SWA | 579 | Mineral | 28 miles | east |
| Rio Grande National Forest | National forest | 1,839,118 | Saguache | 29 miles | east |
| West Lime Creek STL | State trust land | 640 | San Juan | 31 miles | west |
Point: CPW Managed Properties (public access only) layer, CPWAdminData (1 polygon) (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Closed places from lands.json closed rows. Statewide public land map.
A look at the country near Brown Lakes SWA
Brown Lakes SWA: when the legal day starts and ends
In Brown Lakes SWA, the light goose conservation order and furbearer hunting both run to half an hour after sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Pronghorn bow opener | 6:24 a.m. | 8:04 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 8:34 p.m. | 5:54 a.m. to 8:04 p.m. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Archery opener | 6:40 a.m. | 7:40 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. | 6:10 a.m. to 7:40 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:48 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Oct 3, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:06 a.m. | 6:51 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 7:21 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 6:51 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Second rifle opens | 7:26 a.m. | 6:22 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 6:52 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 6:22 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:58 a.m. | 4:55 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:21 a.m. | 4:54 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area: the nearest public range, then clubs
Bayfield Lions Club Shooting Range is 49 miles from Brown Lakes State Wildlife Area and is the nearest public range in CPW’s finder.
From the CPW Shooting Range Finder, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 5, 2026.
Brown Lakes SWA: questions hunters ask
Which GMUs does Brown Lakes SWA overlap?
Units on the CPW layer: GMU 76.
Which county lines does Brown Lakes SWA cross?
Hinsdale County; the county page lists the nearby ground.
CWD and antler rules for Brown Lakes SWA?
No elk antler point restriction in these units. No mandatory CWD testing GMU here; deer testing is not mandatory in 2026.
Which game does Brown Lakes SWA hold?
Waterfowl, by the agency list.
Who can answer a question about conditions on Brown Lakes SWA?
Phone Area CPW Office in Monte Vista, 719-587-6900.
Where do I buy gas and ice near Brown Lakes SWA?
City of Creede is 15 miles from the record point.
Can deer or elk be baited on Brown Lakes SWA?
No. Deer and elk may not be hunted over bait; migratory bird hunters also follow the federal 10-day baited-area rule.
What blaze orange rule applies on Brown Lakes SWA?
With any firearm license for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose or bear: 500 square inches of solid orange or pink above the waist plus an orange or pink hat.
Does the CPW page show camping for Brown Lakes SWA?
Camping is not offered here.
What clock times bound legal hunting on Brown Lakes SWA?
Half an hour either side of the sun for big game, which on November 7, 2026 means 6:11 a.m. to 5:36 p.m. in Hinsdale County.
What license or pass gets me onto Brown Lakes SWA?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Colorado hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area Pass, plus the license for the game you hunt.
Where do I confirm the rules for Brown Lakes SWA?
Check the agency page run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
How much room is there to roam on Brown Lakes SWA?
Listed size: 520 acres.
Wrap-up for Brown Lakes SWA
Use this page to plan, then reread the agency page for Brown Lakes SWA the week before the trip.
Sources: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4; seasons from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure. Checked November 5, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).