[Python] FileNotFoundError: Could not find module 'gdal.dll' when running Django with...

I'm working on a Django project using GeoDjango for spatial models. I'm on Windows 10, using a Conda environment (moodspend). When I try to run the server with:

python manage.py runserver


I get this error:

(moodspend) PS C:\Users\ngari\Desktop\Ngari's Projects\moodspend\backend> python manage.py runserver
{"timestamp": "2025-06-12T20:26:05.871837Z", "level": "INFO", "logger": "django.utils.autoreload", "message": "Watching for file changes with StatReloader", "module": "autoreload", "function": "run_with_reloader", "line": 667, "thread": 14264, "process": 15528, "correlation_id": "e0dfc999"}
Exception in thread django-main-thread:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\threading.py", line 1016, in _bootstrap_inner
self.run()
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\threading.py", line 953, in run
self._target(*self._args, **self._kwargs)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\utils\autoreload.py", line 64, in wrapper
fn(*args, **kwargs)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\commands\runserver.py", line 124, in inner_run
autoreload.raise_last_exception()
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\utils\autoreload.py", line 86, in raise_last_exception
raise _exception[1]
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 394, in execute
autoreload.check_errors(django.setup)()
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\utils\autoreload.py", line 64, in wrapper
fn(*args, **kwargs)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\__init__.py", line 24, in setup
apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\apps\registry.py", line 116, in populate
app_config.import_models()
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\apps\config.py", line 269, in import_models
self.models_module = import_module(models_module_name)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1050, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1027, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1006, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 688, in _load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 883, in exec_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 241, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "C:\Users\ngari\Desktop\Ngari's Projects\moodspend\backend\apps\expenses\models.py", line 18, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db import models as gis_models
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\db\models\__init__.py", line 3, in <module>
import django.contrib.gis.db.models.functions # NOQA
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\db\models\functions.py", line 3, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.db.models.fields import BaseSpatialField, GeometryField
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\db\models\fields.py", line 3, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis import forms, gdal
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\forms\__init__.py", line 3, in <module>
from .fields import ( # NOQA
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\forms\fields.py", line 2, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.gdal import GDALException
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\gdal\__init__.py", line 29, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.gdal.datasource import DataSource
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\gdal\datasource.py", line 40, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.gdal.driver import Driver
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\gdal\driver.py", line 5, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.gdal.prototypes import ds as capi
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\gdal\prototypes\ds.py", line 10, in <module>
from django.contrib.gis.gdal.libgdal import lgdal
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\gis\gdal\libgdal.py", line 71, in <module>
lgdal = CDLL(lib_path)
File "C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\lib\ctypes\__init__.py", line 374, in __init__
self._handle = _dlopen(self._name, mode)
FileNotFoundError: Could not find module 'C:\Users\ngari\miniconda3\envs\moodspend\Library\bin\gdal.dll' (or one of its dependencies). Try using the full path with constructor syntax.


Project context: Python 3.10 (Conda)

Django 5.x

GeoDjango enabled

The error occurs at import time

What I've tried: Installed gdal using conda install -c conda-forge gdal

Confirmed PATH include relevant paths and also set GDAL_LIBRARY_PATH in django config

Reinstalled django, gdal, and geos

Verified gdal.dll is present in Library\bin

What is the correct way to install and configure GDAL on Windows for a Django + GeoDjango project inside a Conda environment, so that gdal.dll is properly found?

Is there a workaround or recommended way to point Django to the correct gdal.dll?

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