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Ridgway Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Colorado. Its recorded surface area is approximately 1,030 acres. Nearby alternatives include Blue Mesa Reservoir. For this location, LakeRadar tracks an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Ridgway Reservoir.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Hydrologic Outlook issued October 9 at 10:53AM MDT by NWS Grand Junction CO
Overall Poor (52/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (61/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 90/100 across these hours. Wind 5 mph from the southeast. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 48° | 48° | 48° | 46° | 46° | 52° | 58° | 63° | 67° | 68° | 69° | 68° | 67° | 64° | 61° | 59° | 57° | 56° | 54° | 53° | 51° | 49° | 47° | 46° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Direction | — | — | SE | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SE | SE | SE | S | SE | S | SE | SE | SE |
| Gusts (kts) | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Precip % | 16% | 18% | 20% | 11% | 12% | 8% | 7% | 15% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 13% | 24% | 38% | 50% | 39% | 51% | 35% | 36% | 13% | 6% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 4 AM MDT | 48°F | Calm | 6 mph | 16% | 79% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 5 AM MDT | 48°F | Calm | 6 mph | 18% | 73% | Areas Of Fog |
| Sun, 6 AM MDT | 48°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 20% | 67% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 7 AM MDT | 46°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 10 mph | 11% | 62% | Patchy Fog |
| Sun, 8 AM MDT | 46°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 14 mph | 12% | 56% | Partly Sunny |
| Sun, 9 AM MDT | 52°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 17 mph | 8% | 50% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 10 AM MDT | 58°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 21 mph | 7% | 44% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 11 AM MDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 15% | 43% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sun, 12 PM MDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 30 mph | 8% | 47% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 1 PM MDT | 68°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 6% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 2 PM MDT | 69°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 32 mph | 9% | 33% | Mostly Sunny |
| Sun, 3 PM MDT | 68°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 32 mph | 13% | 47% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 4 PM MDT | 67°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 31 mph | 24% | 48% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 5 PM MDT | 64°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 29 mph | 38% | 62% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 6 PM MDT | 61°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 27 mph | 50% | 67% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 7 PM MDT | 59°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 27 mph | 39% | 59% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 8 PM MDT | 57°F | 15 mph SE (135°) | 28 mph | 51% | 67% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 9 PM MDT | 56°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 25 mph | 35% | 57% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 10 PM MDT | 54°F | 10 mph SSE (158°) | 24 mph | 36% | 57% | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 11 PM MDT | 53°F | 10 mph SE (135°) | 22 mph | 13% | 19% | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Mon, 12 AM MDT | 51°F | 5 mph SSE (158°) | 18 mph | 6% | 13% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 1 AM MDT | 49°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 15 mph | 2% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 2 AM MDT | 47°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 13 mph | 3% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 3 AM MDT | 46°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 12 mph | 4% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Mon, 4 AM MDT | 45°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 12 mph | 2% | 27% | Partly Cloudy |
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 11, 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 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 | Friday October 16, 2026 | Friday Night October 16, 2026 | Saturday October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 46° | 69° | 41° | 66° | 41° | 61° | 35° | 53° | 30° | 56° | 32° | 59° | 33° | 60° |
| Wind | 0 mph | SSE 5 to 15 mph | SE 5 to 15 mph | S 5 to 15 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | SSE 0 to 5 mph | WNW 0 to 5 mph | W 0 to 5 mph | N 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph | ENE 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph | NNE 0 to 5 mph |
| Gusts | 6 mph | 35 mph | 30 mph | 23 mph | 18 mph | 22 mph | 15 mph | 15 mph | 9 mph | 12 mph | 7 mph | 9 mph | 6 mph | 9 mph |
| Precip % | 18% | 38% | 51% | 4% | 50% | 46% | 68% | 61% | 28% | 12% | 14% | 9% | 12% | 11% |
| Forecast |
Fair for fishing (55/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the southeast. 16% chance of precipitation. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Fair for boating (61/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 6 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for sailing (24/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts exceed sustained wind by 6 mph, making the breeze puffy. 16% chance of precipitation. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Fair for kayaking (61/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 6 mph. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. 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.
Ridgway Reservoir in CO is a dynamic freshwater reservoir offering visitors a balanced blend of public recreation and tranquil natural scenery. The waterbody is frequented by fishermen targeting warmwater and coolwater species, as well as canoe and kayak paddlers. Confirm on-water safety requirements and personal flotation device regulations before launch.
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 Brook Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Green Sunfish, Rock 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.
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 Ridgway 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 11, 4:18 AM MDT