Hiawatha is located in the central part of Red Feather Lakes, along Hiawatha Highway, just west of the village. It's our largest lake and a very good fishery with all varieties of trout. Hiawatha is a popular lake with our members, especially those who like to go boating and is frequented by wildlife such as waterfowl, eagles, and moose.

Fishing - While Hiawatha isn't as productive as Shagwa or Letitia, it's a very good fishery. It supports a variety of trout, rainbows, cutbows, palominos, brooks, and browns. It's one of our boating lakes, with a put-in point on the north side. Because there are many easy access fishing areas, bait fishermen enjoy spending time there. And with its larger size, it's popular for fly fishing from a boat or float tube.

Birds eye view of Hiawatha, photo taken in the 80s History - Hiawatha is the crown jewel for Red Feather Lakes. It's RFS&I's oldest lake and stores the largest volume of water. Hiawatha was decreed in 1888 and served as a classic irrigation reservior, supplied by the Mitchell Ditch. In the 1920's it was prominently featured as part of Red Feather's recreation "scene", and in fact the subject of many photos. During the 1970's through 90's, the outlet structure, saddle dam, and spill way were overhauled. Then in 2010 the main dam and outlet structure were reconstructed. From the 1970's through 2002, the upper Mitchell Ditch was piped which greatly improved our ability to fill not only Hiawatha, but all the lakes. Whether you're a fishermen, boater, or sightseer, Hiawatha is a "must visit".

Hiawatha depth contour