North Sterling State Park ramp to open April 1, CPW announces

The boat ramp at North Sterling State Park in Logan County will open April 1 at 8:00 a.m., Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced in a Feb. 25 press release. The ramp reopening gives Sterling-area anglers and powerboat owners a firm date to plan spring outings as CPW listed the Northeast Region schedule and operational reminders for the 2026 season.

CPW’s Northeast Region schedule names specific opening times across nine parks: Barr Lake opens April 1 at 8:00 a.m.; Boyd Lake opens March 6 at 7:00 a.m.; Chatfield’s north ramp opens March 1 at 6:00 a.m. with both ramps opening April 1 at 6:00 a.m.; Cherry Creek opens March 1 at 8:00 a.m.; Jackson Lake opens March 15 at 8:00 a.m.; North Sterling opens April 1 at 8:00 a.m.; and St. Vrain opens March 1 at 8:00 a.m. Eleven Mile and Spinney are listed as TBA pending ice conditions, and CPW instructs boaters to check individual park websites for updates.

Regulatory and safety requirements are emphasized before any launch. FishExplorer reproduced CPW guidance and noted, "Before launching into bodies of water in Colorado, boaters will need to ensure they have registered their vessel, purchased an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) stamp, completed an ANS inspection and stocked their watercraft with Coast Guard-approved life jackets for all passengers." FishExplorer also reported that "ANS inspections can be done any day of the week at a state park or CPW administrative offices during weekdays." CPW materials add that "Boaters are also encouraged to complete a boating safety course through CPW before launching."

CPW warned of low water conditions that could affect operations and safety: "Visitors should be aware of forecasted low water levels for the 2026 season. Water hazards and other debris may become visible, and boaters should steer around any obstacles. CPW will continue to closely monitor water levels at state parks to ensure safety of watercraft and park ranger patrol boats." That advisory frames local decisions for Sterling-area boaters who may encounter exposed hazards as water levels shift.

For regular park users, CPW highlighted the Keep Colorado Wild annual pass as an option for avoiding entry lines; the fee is $29. The agency also described itself as an enterprise agency that relies primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees, managing 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas across roughly 900,000 acres and generating about $6 billion in annual economic impact statewide.

Coverage of CPW’s announcement by secondary outlets noted a mismatch in counts: CPW’s release lists nine Northeast Region parks with dates or TBA statuses, while FishExplorer and 9NEWS characterized the announcement as covering seven parks. Broader statewide context from 9NEWS and Denver7 underscored drought and record-low snowpack concerns; 9NEWS reported Frisco Bay Marina staff told the Frisco City Council that "slips and the boat ramp will not be available for use during the 2026 boating season, based on extreme drought conditions, record-low snowpack, and the most recent data from Denver Water."

Logan County boaters planning trips to North Sterling should confirm registration and ANS compliance, consider the $29 Keep Colorado Wild pass, and watch CPW park pages for any late changes to Eleven Mile and Spinney openings or other operational updates. North Sterling’s April 1 ramp opening now provides a concrete start point for the 2026 boating season in Sterling and surrounding communities.