GMU 45 GMU 45 — Eagle/Pitkin Co.
High White River timber between the Eagle River and the upper Frying Pan
Central Colorado — Frying Pan headwaters / Sylvan Lake (White River NF) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
336
sq mi
Public land
70%
approx.
Elevation
6,800–12,100
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
GMU 45 spans roughly 336 square miles of Eagle and Pitkin county high country, riding the divide between the Eagle River drainage and the upper Frying Pan and Roaring Fork. It is heavily White River National Forest, reaching toward the Holy Cross Wilderness in its northeast corner and centered on the timbered ridges around Crooked Creek Pass, Sylvan Lake, and Hardscrabble and Red Table Mountains. Elk is the marquee species and shares a tag pool with units 44, 47, and 444 — a 2nd- and 3rd-rifle over-the-counter bull hunt with limited-draw antlerless tags — while mule deer is fully limited-draw and posts the better success (near 33% recently) in this steep, high-elevation unit.
Terrain
Rugged, high-elevation forest country stacked between the Eagle River valley and the upper Frying Pan. Long timbered ridges — Red Table Mountain, Hardscrabble Mountain — separate steep drainages, with alpine and subalpine parks up high around Crooked Creek Pass and the Holy Cross fringe.
Cover: Sagebrush and oakbrush on the lower valley slopes climbing quickly into aspen and mountain shrub, then heavy spruce-fir and lodgepole with grassy parks and willow-lined drainages up high toward timberline.
Landmarks: Red Table Mountain · Hardscrabble Mountain · Crooked Creek Pass · Sylvan Lake State Park · Ruedi Reservoir (south) · Frying Pan River headwaters · Holy Cross Wilderness (northeast fringe) · Eagle River valley
Access
This is predominantly White River National Forest with high public-land availability, though the lower Eagle River and Frying Pan valley edges hold private ranches and inholdings. Sylvan Lake State Park and Crooked Creek Pass are principal public entry points. Colorado State Trust lands are NOT open to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program. Access is largely via Forest Service roads climbing from Eagle to Sylvan Lake and over Crooked Creek Pass toward the Frying Pan.
Managers: USFS White River NF, private ranch, Colorado State Parks (Sylvan Lake)
Access points: Sylvan Lake / Brush Creek Road out of Eagle · Crooked Creek Pass Road · Frying Pan Road to Thomasville / Meredith · West Lake Creek / Eagle River drainages
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityThe headline species, sharing a tag pool with units 44, 47, and 444. Bull tags are over-the-counter for 2nd and 3rd rifle with limited-draw antlerless tags. Recent success was modest (near 13%), reflecting pressure and rugged, timbered country rather than scarce elk — herds use the high spruce-fir and parks and drift with hunting pressure.
- →Hunt hard into the dark timber and high parks around Red Table and Hardscrabble Mountains, away from the Sylvan Lake and Crooked Creek Pass trailheads.
- →Work the transition between spruce-fir bedding and grassy parks at first and last light on OTC rifle hunts.
- →Time archery to the September rut and get above the road-accessible pockets where pressured bulls hold.
Mule Deer
common qualityA limited-draw mule deer hunt with the better success in the unit (near 33%). Bucks use the oakbrush and aspen benches on the lower slopes and the high shrub-and-timber edges, sliding down toward the valleys as snow builds.
- →Glass oakbrush and aspen edges on the mid-elevation benches early and late.
- →Later seasons concentrate bucks lower as snow pushes them off the high ridges toward the Eagle and Frying Pan valleys.
- →Cover country with optics from ridge vantage points — this is steep spot-and-stalk terrain.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear range the aspen and oakbrush benches through the fall, feeding on berries and mast before denning. An incidental opportunity that pairs naturally with an early elk or deer hunt.
- →Glass oakbrush slopes and berry-heavy aspen pockets in the warm early seasons.
- →Look for feeding sign — scat and torn-up mast — on south-facing shrub benches.
- →Hunt bears while scouting elk on the same aspen edges.
Pro tips
- →Elk tags are shared with units 44, 47, and 444 — a bull tag is valid across the group.
- →Sylvan Lake and Crooked Creek Pass are the easy access points, so hunt away from them for less-pressured elk.
- →Mule deer posts better success than elk here — treat the draw deer tag as a serious hunt.
- →State Trust lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- →Watch the weather on Crooked Creek Pass — early snow can close the high roads mid-hunt.
Watch out for
- !Private ranches and inholdings along the lower Eagle River and Frying Pan valleys.
- !State Trust lands are closed to hunting unless enrolled in CPW's Public Access Program.
- !OTC bull elk crowding near Sylvan Lake and Crooked Creek Pass trailheads.
- !Early snow closing high Forest Service roads and passes.
Logistics
Eagle (I-70) is the primary base with fuel, groceries, lodging, and repair; Basalt and Gypsum add options, and the small settlements of Meredith and Thomasville sit up the Frying Pan. From there the unit is Forest Service road and high-country camping — plan for high-clearance access up to Sylvan Lake and over Crooked Creek Pass, and expect early snow to complicate the highest roads. Carry recovery gear and a satellite communicator; cell service fades quickly off the valleys.
Nearest towns: Eagle, CO, Basalt, CO, Meredith, CO, Gypsum, CO
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Colorado sources:
Research sources: CPW — Over-the-Counter (OTC) Licenses · Hunters Domain — Colorado Unit 45 Hunting Information · USFS White River National Forest
FAQ
- How big is GMU 45 in Colorado?
- GMU 45 (GMU 45 — Eagle/Pitkin Co.) covers about 336 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,800 to 12,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 45?
- Approximately 70% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS White River NF, private ranch, Colorado State Parks (Sylvan Lake). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 45?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Colorado agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 45 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.