Altitude: 5,300 ft
Filed Under: Fishing
There are 18 ponds at Sawhill (so the map says, but maybe only 8-9 hold fish. The others are either dried up completely of marsh/swamp land. The fishable ponds range anywhere from 1 acre to 10 acres. The ponds are full of largemouth bass, perch, bluegill and carp, but they get fished quite heavily. This a is great place for warmwater fly fishing. It is really close to Boulder, holds lots of fish, and there is plenty of bank access. However, you are asked not to wade in the ponds as there have been New Zealand Mud Snail spotted in the area (reported 5/01/06).
In all but the first two ponds, fishing is allowed with artifical lures and flies only. Worms, streamers, and poppers seem to consistently produce fish. The bluegill action is quite fun for kids or people who get bored easily. Bluegill and small bass will tear up a small popper on a flyrod. Worms and streamers will produce some of the larger fish.
The 18 ponds at Sawhill are the result of a gravel mining operation and reclamation project. Boulder Creek, now at the northwestern boundary of the ponds, has traversed the entire area in the geologic past. This ancient floodplain laid down great quantities of sand and gravel, and these deposits were mined for several decades until the early 1970s. When the mining ceased, groundwater filled the pits resulting in a wetland area that provides marvelous habitat for many species of wildlife. The ponds are stocked by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and warm water fishing is a popular activity.
Sawhill Ponds is the home to many different kinds of waterfowl, fish, birds of prey, amphibians and reptiles.
Sawhill Ponds is located East of the Boulder city limits on the west side of 75th Street, 0.6 mile north of Valmont Road. The entrance is easy to pass. If you are coming from Valmont, turn left immediately past the abandoned railroad crossing. If you get to the entrance of Walden Ponds, you have gone .3 miles too far.
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