Motorized boats need an inspection before launching at Horsetooth and Carter

If you plan to put a boat on Horsetooth Reservoir or Carter Lake, there is a step that surprises some newcomers: the boat gets inspected first. Larimer County requires an aquatic nuisance species, or ANS, inspection before any motorized or trailered vessel launches at these reservoirs.

The reason is to stop invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels from hitchhiking in on a hull, motor, or trailer from another lake. Inspectors check the boat and its gear, and if there is a real risk they can clean it with hot water or hold it. Because every motor and trailered boat must be checked, launching only happens during inspection hours, so an early or late arrival may have to wait.

The exemption is worth knowing too. Hand-launched, human-powered craft, like canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards, generally do not need the inspection, because they are easier to clean and lower risk. But add a motor or a trailer and that exemption goes away.

The inspection hours change with the season and staffing, so this note does not list them. Before towing a boat out, check the Larimer County boating page for the current launch and inspection hours, and see Colorado Parks and Wildlife for how the statewide inspection program works.