Timnath Reservoir: who can go, which permit, and when

Timnath Reservoir, at 5824 County Road 40 east of town, is not a public lake in the ordinary sense. The water and the land around it belong to the New Cache La Poudre Reservoir Company, which uses it for irrigation, and the Town leases it for recreation under an agreement that began in 2016 and runs 15 years. That is why everyone needs a permit, and why the rules on who may buy one are set out in the Town’s Reservoir Policy. Here is what the Town’s pages say, as of October 2026.

Who may use it

The reservoir page says the property is for “properly permitted residents, future Timnath residents, Colorado anglers, and their guests”. The permits page sorts those into three kinds of user:

• Timnath residents: anyone living within the Town’s municipal boundaries, including property owners, renters and business owners.
• GMA residents: anyone living in the Town’s Growth Management Area, which the Town defines as outside the municipal boundary. Property owners and renters count.
• Colorado anglers: Colorado residents who are neither of the above. The Town’s Colorado Anglers page says “Colorado resident anglers only” and requires a valid Colorado fishing license, for shore and non-motorized boat fishing. The license alone does not get you onto the property: an angler also needs the Town’s shore permit, one per license.

Residents and GMA residents must show proof of residency; anglers show the license. A guest is anyone without a permit who comes with a permit holder. Children under 16 get in free with a permit-holding adult of 18 or over and do not need a guest pass, but they may not be left unattended.

The permits

Every vehicle on the property must display a permit. The Town sells annual permits online only, on its permits page; allow two business days, then pick them up at 4800 Goodman Street (Monday to Friday, 8 am–4 pm) or wait up to two weeks for them to be mailed. Day-use shore and non-motorized boat permits are sold at the reservoir itself, card only. Annual permits run April 1 to March 31 whatever the purchase date, and are not transferable or refundable. The permits page says 2027 registration dates are still to be announced.

Permit	Timnath resident	GMA resident	Colorado angler
Shore use, annual	Free per household	$65 per household ($45 senior)	$65 per person ($45 senior)
Shore use, single day	Not sold; included	$10 per household ($8 senior)	$10 per person ($8 senior)
Guest vehicle, single day	$8	$10	Not listed
Non-motorized boat, annual	$30 ($20 senior)	$35 ($25 senior)	$35 ($25 senior)
Non-motorized boat, single day	$10 ($8 senior)	$15 ($7 senior)	$15 ($7 senior)
Motorized boat, annual	$300	Not eligible	Not eligible
Motorized boat, single day	$75	Not eligible	Not eligible

Some details from the policy that the fee table does not show:

• A resident household’s free shore permit comes as two tags and includes one guest vehicle a day; a second guest vehicle pass can be bought on site.
• A GMA household’s annual shore permit also includes one guest vehicle. The GMA day-use household permit includes no guests.
• An angler’s shore permit is individual, one per fishing license, and lets the holder bring up to two children under 16.
• GMA residents and anglers must hold a shore permit before they can buy a non-motorized boat permit, annual or single-day. GMA households are limited to four annual boat permits; anglers to one boat per license.
• Motorized boat permits go only to Timnath residents, one boat per household, with 65 annual permits issued (the Town may raise that to 70). The boat must be state-registered with an ANS stamp, insured for at least $300,000 liability, and the permit holder must be the resident. Day-use motorized permits are bought online in advance, by noon Friday for the weekend, and a permit does not guarantee a place on the water that day.
• eFoils have their own resident-only permit, 25 a year: $100 annual ($75 senior) or $15 a day ($10 senior). Jet skis and jet boats are prohibited.

Hours by season

Period	Shore and non-motorized hours
April 1 to the Thursday before Memorial Day	7 am–7 pm, or as posted
Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day	6 am–8:30 pm or dusk, whichever is earlier
Tuesday after Labor Day to March 31	7 am–7 pm or dusk, whichever is earlier, or as posted

Motorized boats run Thursday through Sunday, April 1 to October 1, 7 am–8:30 pm or reservoir close, whichever is earlier, and must be off the water, not merely heading back, by 8:30 pm. Motorized boating is also allowed on Mondays that are national holidays. The policy says the motorized season can be cut short by staffing and water levels, which fall as the irrigation company draws the reservoir down. On motorized days the dock is reserved for motorized boats and paddlers must stay within 200 feet of shore.

What is allowed

• Fishing from shore, piers or boats, with a Colorado license for anyone 16 and older as well as the Town permit; a fishing license on its own does not grant access. Carp must be kept, not released. Bow fishing is allowed; ice fishing is not.
• Swimming only from the designated swim area, with no lifeguard; the policy prohibits swimming or wading from the shore elsewhere, and keeps boats out of the swim area. The Town does not treat blue-green algae, confirmed in past years in late summer and early fall; stay out of discolored or scummy water, and keep dogs out.
• Paddling in kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, float tubes and the like counts as non-motorized boating. Every boat needs a life jacket per person, a paddle and a whistle, and children under 13 must wear the jacket. A permit is required even if you launch from somewhere other than the Town’s park.
• Dogs on leashes are welcome; clean up after them.
• Also: hiking and biking on the shore trails, picnicking at first-come tables, and horses off the grass and dams. No alcohol or drugs, no camping or overnight parking, no fires without Town permission, no ATVs.

A flag system governs the water: green is open, yellow is caution, red with three air-horn blasts means off the water now. Water access closes when lightning is within 10 miles and reopens 30 minutes after the last thunder.

Questions about permits go to (970) 971-8850; the reservoir’s own number is (970) 231-7268.