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Rifle Gap Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Colorado. Its recorded surface area is approximately 359 acres. Research-grade observations nearby include Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Green Sunfish, and Northern Pike. Nearby alternatives include Harvey Gap Reservoir, Vega Reservoir, and Fruitgrowers Reservoir. A nearby water gauge supplies level and temperature readings where available. 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. Use the conditions and forecast on this page to decide when to go boating, fishing, or paddling at Rifle Gap 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 Very Poor / Avoid (31/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Sailing (39/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 83/100 across these hours. Wind 10 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 69° | 68° | 66° | 60° | 57° | 55° | 54° | 54° | 53° | 52° | 50° | 50° | 50° | 49° | 48° | 48° | 47° | 49° | 54° | 60° | 62° | 63° | 65° | 66° |
| Wind (kts) | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Direction | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | SW | S | S | S | S | S | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precip % | 63% | 65% | 68% | 70% | 62% | 54% | 46% | 48% | 49% | 50% | 48% | 46% | 44% | 45% | 46% | 47% | 45% | 43% | 41% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 39% | 39% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 3 PM MDT | 69°F | 20 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 63% | No data | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sun, 4 PM MDT | 68°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 65% | No data | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sun, 5 PM MDT | 66°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 68% | No data | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely |
| Sun, 6 PM MDT | 60°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 70% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 7 PM MDT | 57°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 62% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 8 PM MDT | 55°F | 20 mph S (180°) | No data | 54% | No data | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 9 PM MDT | 54°F | 20 mph S (180°) | No data | 46% | No data | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 10 PM MDT | 54°F | 20 mph S (180°) | No data | 48% | No data | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Sun, 11 PM MDT | 53°F | 20 mph S (180°) | No data | 49% | No data | Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Mon, 12 AM MDT | 52°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 50% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 1 AM MDT | 50°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 48% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 2 AM MDT | 50°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 46% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 3 AM MDT | 50°F | 15 mph SSE (158°) | No data | 44% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 4 AM MDT | 49°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 45% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 5 AM MDT | 48°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 46% | No data | Scattered Rain Showers |
| Mon, 6 AM MDT | 48°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 47% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 7 AM MDT | 47°F | 10 mph S (180°) | No data | 45% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 8 AM MDT | 49°F | 10 mph S (180°) | No data | 43% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 9 AM MDT | 54°F | 10 mph S (180°) | No data | 41% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 10 AM MDT | 60°F | 10 mph S (180°) | No data | 40% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 11 AM MDT | 62°F | 10 mph S (180°) | No data | 40% | No data | Chance Rain Showers |
| Mon, 12 PM MDT | 63°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 40% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Mon, 1 PM MDT | 65°F | 15 mph S (180°) | No data | 39% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Mon, 2 PM MDT | 66°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 39% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
| Mon, 3 PM MDT | 67°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | No data | 38% | No data | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms |
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 | This Afternoon October 11, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Saturday Night October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 71° | 46° | 67° | 41° | 62° | 36° | 55° | 32° | 60° | 32° | 66° | 35° | 67° | 37° |
| Wind | SSW 15 to 20 mph | S 15 to 20 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | SSE 10 mph | S 5 to 10 mph | WSW 0 to 5 mph | WSW 0 to 5 mph | NNW 0 to 5 mph | NNE 0 to 5 mph | NNE 0 to 5 mph | SSE 0 to 5 mph | NE 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph |
| Gusts | 35 mph | 35 mph | 25 mph | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precip % | 68% | 70% | 47% | 78% | 81% | 84% | 72% | 37% | 14% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 8% |
| Forecast |
Poor for fishing (37/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Sky is mostly cloudy (40% cloud cover). Air temperature 69°F. Working against it: 63% chance of precipitation is likely. 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.
Very Poor / Avoid for boating (23/100), from 3 available inputs. Working against it: 63% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: gusts, visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Poor for sailing (39/100), from 3 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 20 mph from the SSW is workable but not ideal. Working against it: 63% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: gust stability, visibility. Confidence is moderate (78%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Very Poor / Avoid for kayaking (27/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Air temperature 69°F. Working against it: 63% chance of precipitation is likely. The forecast mentions thunderstorms, which carries a risk penalty. Not available from a verified source for this lake: gusts. Confidence is moderate (78%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
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.
Rifle Gap Reservoir is a versatile freshwater reservoir in CO, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies to provide safe, sustainable outdoor recreation for all visitors. The lake supports active watersports, pontoon cruising, and bank fishing along accessible public easements. Checking current weather alerts and wave forecasts ensures a safe trip.
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.
Low-wake cruising, electric-troll fishing craft, and quiet-water exploration. Target gamefish include Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Green Sunfish, Northern Pike. 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 Rifle Gap 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, 3:01 PM MDT