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Carter Lake is a reservoir in Colorado. Fish documented in the area include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout. The water surface spans about 1,110 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Nearby alternatives include Boyd Lake, Lake Granby, and Horsetooth Reservoir. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Carter Lake are updated throughout the day.
Updated
Latest source update is older than expected. Use caution and check the official source.
The last automated check (Oct 9, 12:50 AM MDT) found no active alerts for this lake, but that check is older than LakeRadar's alert freshness window, so the current alert status could not be confirmed.
Confirm before heading out: official alerts for this area or weather.gov/alerts. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
Overall Good (89/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (93/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 6 mph from the west. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 58° | 58° | 56° | 55° | 54° | 53° | 52° | 56° | 64° | 72° | 75° | 79° | 81° | 82° | 83° | 81° | 80° | 77° | 71° | 67° | 63° | 63° | 62° | 61° |
| Wind (kts) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
| Direction | NW | NW | NW | W | W | W | W | W | W | SW | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 1 AM MDT | 58°F | 7 mph WNW (293°) | 12 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 2 AM MDT | 58°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 10 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 3 AM MDT | 56°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 10 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 4 AM MDT | 55°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 5 AM MDT | 54°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 9 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM MDT | 53°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 9 mph | 0% | 4% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 52°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 56°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 64°F | 6 mph W (270°) | 10 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 72°F | 6 mph SSW (203°) | 9 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 75°F | 6 mph SSE (158°) | 10 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 79°F | 8 mph SSE (158°) | 14 mph | 2% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 81°F | 9 mph SSE (158°) | 16 mph | 2% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 82°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 5% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 83°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 5% | 27% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 81°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 17 mph | 5% | 45% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 80°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 16 mph | 5% | 50% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 77°F | 5 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 5% | 47% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 71°F | 7 mph WSW (248°) | 14 mph | 4% | 32% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 67°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 18 mph | 1% | 31% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 63°F | 14 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 0% | 30% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 63°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 23 mph | 0% | 32% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 62°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 22 mph | 0% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 61°F | 12 mph W (270°) | 20 mph | 0% | 35% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 61°F | 10 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 0% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Today October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 82° | 52° | 83° | 54° | 81° | 54° | 76° | 51° | 75° | 48° | 69° | 47° | 68° | 44° |
| Wind | SE 6 mph | W 6 to 10 mph | SSW 6 to 10 mph | WSW 5 to 15 mph | WSW 6 to 9 mph | W 3 to 10 mph | SSW 6 mph | W 1 to 6 mph | SSW 1 to 6 mph | NW 0 to 8 mph | S 0 to 6 mph | N 5 mph | WNW 3 to 8 mph | W 7 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 10 mph | 17 mph | 17 mph | 23 mph | 20 mph | 16 mph | 15 mph | 8 mph | 8 mph | 12 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph | 10 mph | 15 mph |
| Precip % | 3% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 12% | 4% | 18% | 16% | 32% | 32% | 35% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Carter Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the west-northwest. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (93/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the west-northwest. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (89/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the WNW is workable but not ideal. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 7 mph from the west-northwest. Gusts to 12 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of CO Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Renowned among outdoor enthusiasts in CO, Carter Lake provides reliable access for boating, angling, and peaceful paddling. The surrounding natural areas feature public launches and seasonal campgrounds that enhance the visitor experience. Observe safe navigation speeds and always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Carter Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 1:19 AM MDT