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Sanchez Reservoir is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Colorado. The water surface spans about 1,462 acres, making it a mid-sized body of water. Fish documented in the area include Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Brook Trout. Water data on this page comes from a mapped monitoring station near the lake. Other waters in the region include Trinidad Lake. Coverage here includes 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 Sanchez Reservoir.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 11:21 AM MDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (90/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (96/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 87/100 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 | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 59° | 62° | 66° | 67° | 68° | 67° | 65° | 61° | 57° | 54° | 52° | 51° | 50° | 49° | 47° | 47° | 46° | 45° | 44° | 44° | 43° | 45° | 52° | 56° |
| Wind (kts) | 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Direction | W | W | W | W | W | SW | SW | SW | SW | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW |
| Gusts (kts) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 6% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 11 AM MDT | 59°F | 5 mph WSW (248°) | 9 mph | 0% | 5% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM MDT | 62°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 12 mph | 0% | 6% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM MDT | 66°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 15 mph | 0% | 8% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM MDT | 67°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 17 mph | 3% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM MDT | 68°F | 10 mph WSW (248°) | 20 mph | 6% | 12% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM MDT | 67°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 23 mph | 9% | 11% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM MDT | 65°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 25 mph | 9% | 10% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM MDT | 61°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 23 mph | 5% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM MDT | 57°F | 15 mph SSW (203°) | 24 mph | 1% | 10% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM MDT | 54°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM MDT | 52°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 28 mph | 1% | 12% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM MDT | 51°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 27 mph | 1% | 11% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM MDT | 50°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 25 mph | 1% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM MDT | 49°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 23 mph | 1% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM MDT | 47°F | 15 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 1% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM MDT | 47°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 22 mph | 2% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM MDT | 46°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 21 mph | 2% | 9% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 4 AM MDT | 45°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 18 mph | 2% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 5 AM MDT | 44°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 16 mph | 2% | 8% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 6 AM MDT | 44°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 14 mph | 2% | 7% | Sunny |
| Sat, 7 AM MDT | 43°F | 10 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 2% | 9% | Sunny |
| Sat, 8 AM MDT | 45°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 16 mph | 2% | 10% | Sunny |
| Sat, 9 AM MDT | 52°F | 10 mph SSW (203°) | 17 mph | 1% | 12% | Sunny |
| Sat, 10 AM MDT | 56°F | 10 mph SW (225°) | 21 mph | 1% | 15% | Sunny |
| Sat, 11 AM MDT | 60°F | 15 mph SW (225°) | 24 mph | 1% | 17% | Sunny |
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 9, 2026 | Tonight 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 | Thursday Night October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 68° | 43° | 65° | 46° | 67° | 47° | 64° | 44° | 62° | 38° | 54° | 33° | 55° | 33° |
| Wind | SW 5 to 10 mph | S 10 to 15 mph | SSW 10 to 20 mph | SSW 15 to 20 mph | SW 15 to 25 mph | SSW 20 to 25 mph | SW 15 to 30 mph | SSW 15 to 20 mph | SSW 15 to 30 mph | SSW 25 mph | SW 25 mph | SSW 10 to 20 mph | SW 5 to 10 mph | ESE 10 mph |
| Gusts | 25 mph | 28 mph | 35 mph | 35 mph | 45 mph | 40 mph | 50 mph | 35 mph | 50 mph | 40 mph | 45 mph | 35 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 9% | 5% | 2% | 14% | 7% | 43% | 6% | 8% | 10% | 30% | 13% | 5% | 5% | 15% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (85/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the west-southwest. 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 5 mph from the west-southwest. 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 (84/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 4 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 (96/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 5 mph from the west-southwest. 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.
Anchored in the heart of CO, Sanchez Reservoir serves as a central hub for boating excursions, weekend camping, and sport fishing. The lake features varied bottom contours and shoreline cover that support diverse aquatic life. Launch ramps and recreational amenities are overseen by state and local natural resource agencies.
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 Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook 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 Sanchez 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, 11:21 AM MDT