Colorado Public Water

[skippabcool]

This may be in the wrong spot but it will have to do.

Being relatively new to Colorado and the lakes in Colorado I wanted to get some lake information for the public lakes. I have only been to a couple and wanted to know if there are better ones around or just other lakes in general. I know, just what everyone wanted another boat on their lake.

I was told of a site that would give lake conditions but what I was told was incorrect. When I get the correct one I will post it.

Please add any other lakes and their information. I am looking for pros / cons or any other information for the lakes. Most of these are State Parks. Are there any that are not. Lake Meridith is not.

Lakes:
Cherry Creek


Chattfield


Horsetooth


Boyd Lake


Pueblo


John Martin


Lake Meridith - no cement ramp


Sterling

[Timmy!]

http://wakeweather.com - Shane Druckenmiller runs the site and is a Tige owner and a member on here but can't remember his username.

Have you been to Horsetooth? If not, make sure you hit it up sometime. Very nice lake but busy as heck on the weekends.

[jmitchell]

I'll give you my personal opinions of the lakes I have been to:

Boyd Lake - Growing up lived 1/2 mile from this lake so I have been there a couple hundred times in the last 15 years. This is a great lake, but gets very very very crowded on the weekends. I have been there at times when they are 1 on 1 off, with close to 380 boats already on the water. It can make for some dangerous boating and rough waters. Best times to go are weekdays and late evenings. Good part about this lake is the rangers are so busy dealing with jet skiers that they typically leave boats alone unless you're going the wrong direction or something.

Horsetooth - Nice big mountain lake with many coves. You can actually boat into the coves, anchor up for the night, and camp on land. Very rocky terrain, beautiful scenary, and plenty of party time in the coves. Marina is very large and main campsites fill up fast so reserve early. Only drawback is that due to its size the middle of the lake can get real rough and weather is unpredictable and you can't see it coming because you are tucked in the mountains.

Carter Reservoir - Very similar to Horsetooth, but not quite as large nor are there as many coves. This reservoir is just West of Berthoud and is a Larimer County run reservoir (separate pass from state). More expensive cause you have to pay for vehicle AND boat. Has same rough water and weather tendencies as Horsetooth.

Glendo Reservoir - Is very close to CO and worth a weekend trip if you haven't already done so. About 2 hrs from Ft. Collins. All campsites are now reserved only so you have to think ahead get online and reserve early in the season. No longer can camp on sandy beach. Lots of areas to get good smooth water even during the middle of a Saturday when the lake is full. Best time of year June & July.

Private Lakes - If you have ever flown into DIA, you will notice there are quite a few lakes (mostly smaller ones) in CO. Most of those small lakes are private lakes and there are a bunch of them if you talk around to the boating community. Some are home owner type private lakes which you better be ready to shell out $600K-$1M+ on a home or there are some private ski club types lakes which you can become members for ranging from $1500 to $3000+ per season. After fighting the crowds on the state lakes for many years, we decided to join a private ski club three years ago and absolutely love it.

Tommy's Slalom Shop website usually has good links to all the local lakes, but they just updated website and haven't finished this page...
Tommy's

[gwhite94]

Great idea Skip. I to am new to CO and really have only done Chat, Cherry, and Horsetooth. I do spend 3 weeks at Powell and 1 week way down at Lake Mohave. I would say out of the 3 CO lakes Horsetooth is my favorite.

[skippabcool]

http://wakeweather.com - Shane Druckenmiller runs the site and is a Tige owner and a member on here but can't remember his username.

Have you been to Horsetooth? If not, make sure you hit it up sometime. Very nice lake but busy as heck on the weekends.

I haven't been to Horsetooth but have wanted to go. A guy I work with is less than 5 minutes from there and loves it.

I miss heard wakeweather for lakeweather. Thanks Timmy

[Wickedcummins]

Horsetooth is good later in the year its mountain water shiets cold lol we are hitting boyd tomorrow

[Iwndr]

http://wakeweather.com - Shane Druckenmiller runs the site and is a Tige owner and a member on here but can't remember his username.

Have you been to Horsetooth? If not, make sure you hit it up sometime. Very nice lake but busy as heck on the weekends.

Thanks Timmy, That is a good Site

And don't listen to JM J/K!!!!

You guys want to stay away from Glendo always Bad conditions there

[Timmy!]

Glendo is awesome but I almost sank my RZ2 there! Weather can turn quickly and the waves just kept coming over the bow until the boat was up to the seat cushions in water.

Horsetooth is cold because it's 150'+ deep! Before we joined Empire, that's the main lake we went to on the weekends. It's beautiful and we have seen mountain goats and deer while boating which is pretty cool. N. Eltuck is the party cove and on Sunday's/Holiday's, it's not the best place for kids!

Boyd - great on the weeknights! The rangers go in at 8pm as does most everyone else and you can get in a moonlight session with no problem!

Guernsey (WY) - nice lake, camping is hit or miss. Nice high canyon walls make it very scenic but it can be pretty windy.

Grayrocks (WY) - barren landscape, no running water, typical Wyoming lake weather conditions but there's no one there and you get the lake to yourself except for holidays or when the WWS Tige reunion rolls into town.

[gwhite94]

Glendo is awesome but I almost sank my RZ2 there! Weather can turn quickly and the waves just kept coming over the bow until the boat was up to the seat cushions in water.

Horsetooth is cold because it's 150'+ deep! Before we joined Empire, that's the main lake we went to on the weekends. It's beautiful and we have seen mountain goats and deer while boating which is pretty cool. N. Eltuck is the party cove and on Sunday's/Holiday's, it's not the best place for kids!

Boyd - great on the weeknights! The rangers go in at 8pm as does most everyone else and you can get in a moonlight session with no problem!

Guernsey (WY) - nice lake, camping is hit or miss. Nice high canyon walls make it very scenic but it can be pretty windy.

Grayrocks (WY) - barren landscape, no running water, typical Wyoming lake weather conditions but there's no one there and you get the lake to yourself except for holidays or when the WWS Tige reunion rolls into town.

Since you mentioned the WWS reunion. Whats the deal with getting the mussel sticker in WY.. i.e where/how?

Thanks

[Iwndr]

Since you mentioned the WWS reunion. Whats the deal with getting the mussel sticker in WY.. i.e where/how?

Thanks

You can get it online at wyo game and fish

[Timmy!]

Since you mentioned the WWS reunion. Whats the deal with getting the mussel sticker in WY.. i.e where/how?

Thanks

I bought mine at the Sinclair station in Wheatland and then they mailed me the sticker. Not sure why they charge you for a sticker and then don't have anyone there to check the boat. LOL!

[skippabcool]

Everyone head to WY.

What about Lake McConaughy?

[Timmy!]

Lake Mac is decent. Sandy beaches so make sure you have nice wide tires on your truck or you will get stuck. We stopped going there because the water level dropped so low for several years. Back in the mid '90's it was awesome, had nice coves that you could camp and do watersports in, etc. Last time I went was '09.

Seminoe (WY) - Awesome lake! Again, you need good tires on the truck because you can camp right on the sandy beach. Take your ATV's/Dirt bikes/etc because it has some sand "dunes" surrounding it. No cell coverage though so keep that in mind. Had a really good time at this lake and will go back again!

[Timmy!]

Sorry - the title is Colorado Public Water and I keep posting about Wyoming lakes. The reason for that is because our lakes are plain and simply just way overcrowded for real time on them.

[Timmy!]

Cherry "Puddle" is ok for a weekday afternoon run but you're crazy if you try to go there on the weekend and think you are going to do anything besides tube behind the boat. Watch out for the sandbar by the marina...it's slightly submerged and it will take your prop out.