OUR MISSION
“The mission at Lake Capote is to develop and manage professional facilities and services providing quality camping, fishing, day-use and other outdoor recreational opportunities for the benefit of Southern Ute Tribal members, their families, and other Lake visitors.”
2026 OPERATING SCHEDULE
March 5 – March 29
Open Thursday through Sunday ( + holiday Mondays)
Bait Shop Hours: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Schedule due to change if fully staffed.
March 30 – October 27: Open 7 Days a week
After October 28: Closed for the season
Camping During the 4 Days-a-week Operating Schedule
During the 4 days-a-week periods of operation, campers and RVs are welcome to stay overnight Thursday through Saturday nights but must depart by Sunday afternoon.
FEES & RATES
Non-Tribal Member fee per car is $5.00 a day. Tribal Member cost per day per car is free.
BAIT SHOP
The Lake Capote Bait Shop is open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. during days of operation. If visitors arrive before or after operating hours there is a “self-permitting-station” located at the front of the building for guests to acquire either a fishing permit or a camping/RV permit. At times, employees will close the Bait Shop during operating hours to attend to maintenance objectives around the facility. If you need assistance please feel free to tour the facility until you find someone who can help you or wait and enjoy the scenery until one of our on-duty staff return to the Bait Shop.
CAMPGROUND
Campsites can be reserved from our online campsite booking page. Online reservation must be made the day before you would like to camp. If you try to make a reservation on the day you want to come in the online site, will not let you do the booking, you may call us at 1-970-883-2273. Or feel free to stop by the bait shop (8am – 6pm) to find out if we have any spaces.
FISHING PERMITS
Daily fishing permits, specific to Lake Capote, will be issued on site and are limited to 1 per person. Permits are valid for 1 full day, or until the permittee has reached the daily bag limit, whichever comes first. A derby fishing permit is also available and is required to be eligible to receive cash prizes during a season-long fishing derby being held at the Lake. The following fee schedule applies to fishing permits available at Lake Capote. All visitors are required to obtain the appropriate permit(s) for the activities they are engaged in.
Fishermen Note
You do NOT need a State of Colorado fishing license to fish at Lake Capote, and Southern Ute Stream Fishing Permits are for streams only. You must purchase a daily Lake fishing permit to fish at Lake Capote.
We are not renting boats this season.
