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Horsetooth Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Colorado. Fish documented in the area include Brown Trout, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass. It covers roughly 1,899 surface acres (about 3 square miles). The deepest point reaches about 188 feet, and the surface sits near 5,430 feet above sea level. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Boyd Lake, Lake Loveland, and Carter Lake. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Horsetooth Reservoir.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 2:03 AM MDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (91/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (96/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 94/100 across these hours. Wind 7 mph from the west-southwest. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 59° | 59° | 56° | 56° | 56° | 55° | 58° | 64° | 72° | 77° | 82° | 83° | 84° | 85° | 84° | 82° | 79° | 73° | 68° | 67° | 65° | 65° | 63° | 60° |
| Wind (kts) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Direction | NW | NW | NW | W | NW | W | W | SW | S | S | SE | S | S | S | S | SW | S | SW | W | NW | NW | W | W | W |
| Gusts (kts) | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 2 AM MDT | 59°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 9 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Fri, 3 AM MDT | 59°F | 6 mph WNW (293°) | 9 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 4 AM MDT | 56°F | 5 mph WNW (293°) | 7 mph | 0% | 4% | Clear |
| Fri, 5 AM MDT | 56°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM MDT | 56°F | 5 mph WNW (293°) | 7 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM MDT | 55°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM MDT | 58°F | 5 mph W (270°) | 7 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM MDT | 64°F | 3 mph SW (225°) | 6 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM MDT | 72°F | 5 mph SSE (158°) | 8 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 77°F | 6 mph SSE (158°) | 10 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 82°F | 8 mph SE (135°) | 13 mph | 3% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 83°F | 8 mph SSE (158°) | 13 mph | 3% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 84°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 9% | 18% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 85°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 9% | 27% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 84°F | 9 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 9% | 29% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 82°F | 9 mph SSW (203°) | 15 mph | 9% | 32% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 79°F | 8 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 9% | 34% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 73°F | 7 mph SW (225°) | 14 mph | 9% | 42% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 68°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 16 mph | 7% | 50% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 67°F | 9 mph WNW (293°) | 17 mph | 2% | 47% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 65°F | 10 mph WNW (293°) | 17 mph | 0% | 44% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 65°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 15 mph | 0% | 41% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 63°F | 8 mph W (270°) | 14 mph | 0% | 40% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 60°F | 7 mph W (270°) | 12 mph | 0% | 16% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 59°F | 6 mph WSW (248°) | 8 mph | 0% | 7% | 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 | Overnight October 9, 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 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 55° | 86° | 53° | 84° | 55° | 79° | 52° | 78° | 49° | 70° | 45° | 67° | 42° | 66° |
| Wind | WNW 6 mph | SSW 3 to 9 mph | WSW 3 to 10 mph | SW 5 to 12 mph | W 5 to 8 mph | SW 3 to 13 mph | N 7 mph | S 3 to 10 mph | NE 3 to 8 mph | SE 3 to 10 mph | NE 9 mph | NW 7 to 15 mph | WNW 9 to 13 mph | NW 9 to 15 mph |
| Gusts | 9 mph | 15 mph | 17 mph | 20 mph | 13 mph | 21 mph | 13 mph | 18 mph | 12 mph | 18 mph | 17 mph | 29 mph | 21 mph | 25 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 9% | 9% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 7% | 3% | 30% | 30% | 58% | 44% | 29% | 27% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Horsetooth Reservoir. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Good for fishing (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 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 (96/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west-northwest. Gusts to 9 mph. 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 (88/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 3 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (95/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the west-northwest. Gusts to 9 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.
Surrounded by CO's distinct outdoor landscape, Horsetooth Reservoir is an active freshwater reservoir catering to fishermen, pleasure boaters, and nature observers. Its diverse depths and shoreline contours create productive fishing structure across all seasons. Review current launch fees and facility operating schedules before traveling.
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 Brown Trout, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass. 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.
High-altitude mountain winter climate (elevation 5,430 ft MSL). Freezing temperatures, potential snowpack or ice cover, and reduced seasonal amenities. Winter safety caution advised.
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 Horsetooth Reservoir 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, 2:03 AM MDT