Winter at Riverbend Ponds Natural Area, Fort Collins, Colorado
Riverbend Ponds is one of natural areas of Fort Collins created in the Cache la Poudre River corridor.
Riverbend Ponds offers a lot of diversity with a stretch of the Poudre River, several ponds and wetlands. There are seven former gravel mine ponds to choose from so it is a popular fishing site. The Colorado Division of Wildlife stocks the ponds with warm-water species (usually largemouth bass, crappie and channel catfish). Birders also enjoy Riverbend Ponds- over 200 species of birds feed, rest, nest, and migrate through including green herons, a wide variety of ducks, American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants and others. Riverbend Ponds’ flat trails with loop options and varied habitat appeal to many hikers and dog-walkers.
During last winter I visited Riverbend Ponds several time with my camera. It seems that I am photographically attracted to long boardwalks over swamps and narrow passages between ponds.
I have never paddled these ponds. Usually, I prefer a little bit more water, but I have a feeling that next time I will combine photography with paddling. I just need a little bit of a fresh green color there.
The above pictures are available for purchase (licensing and prints) from my stock photography portfolio.
I was walking by “blue gill” pond and I saw a huge fish by the shore. It was fat it looked like a regular fish but gigantic!!! About 5 ft. Long I thought it was a crock.lol I said woah!!! And it turned and swam away so that’s how I saw how long it was and immediately after the fish took off a second fish same length or so took off the same direction. I stayed in the area for a while hoping to see the fish again and I did. It was skimming the top of the water very calmly eating the cotton from the top of the water. I tryed to use my lure to get there attention but they showed no interest. I really wanna know what kind of fish it was. I swear this fish was unreal in size. I’m still in disbelief. It wasn’t a pike. Maybe a carp cuz there are good size.carp in the ponds there but do carp get that big? Idk.
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