Where to Go Antero Reservoir

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Report Date: 5/10/2026

Current Conditions: 

DENVER WATER WILL BE CLOSING ANTERO FOR THE SEASON ON MAY 13TH. THEY ARE DRAINING THE LAKE DUE TO SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS. MORE BELOW-

 In the coming weeks, Denver Water will begin moving water from Antero Reservoir to Cheesman Reservoir, as part of the utility's drought response. Antero Reservoir has the highest ratio of evaporation to storage of any of Denver Water’s reservoirs, and moving the water to Cheesman Reservoir will prevent about 5,000 acre-feet of water (about 25% of the reservoir’s storage capacity) from evaporating. One acre-foot of water equals the annual water use of about three to four single-family households a year.

“A lot of forethought and planning went into our collection system and reservoirs,” said Nathan Elder, manager of water supply for Denver Water. “Antero is a drought reservoir, designed to provide water to our customers during a severe drought. Consolidating this water into Cheesman will help us make the most of the water we have.”

Denver Water is working closely with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to minimize the loss of fish during this process and to allow the public to use the reservoir for a brief period before it eventually closes. Following the fish relocation process, there will be no recreation, including camping, allowed at Antero Reservoir in 2026. More details about this plan will be announced when it is finalized. The decision also allows Denver Water to use more water from its South Platte River Basin supplies, reducing the need to pull as much water from sources west of the Continental Divide, which are also below normal levels following an abysmal snowpack and runoff season.
In a standard year, the water lost to evaporation is recovered by the next runoff season. Because of the historically low snowpack levels in 2026, the water lost this year would not have been recovered. Drought conditions will determine when the reservoir can be refilled. The reservoir was also drained to assist with water management during the 2002 drought. There were plans to drain the reservoir as a drought response in 2013, though a series of late-season snowstorms allowed Denver Water to continue storing water in the reservoir. The last time Antero Reservoir was emptied was in 2015 for a dam rehabilitation project.

The flow table for the draining of the lake is as follows: On May 2nd, the outflows will be 75 cfs. On May 3rd, the outflows will increase to 250 cfs. At these flows, it will take about 6 weeks to completely drain Antero. The last day to fish up here will be May 12th. 

Time is ticking on fishing this popular South Park lake. The last day you can fish there will be May 12th! The lake is emptying pretty fast and we do project the lake to be drained by the end of the month. The fishing is still pretty decent, but the lowering levels are now making access a little more challenging. The north shore will hold the best options for angler right now. Make sure you are in areas that do have some rocks or harder surfaces. If you hit some of that silt, its difficult to get out of.

The crowds have been extremely heavy and there are lots of anglers harvesting fish. All bag and possession limits were lifted until closing. As we progress through the draining, it will be wise to look for areas with a little more gradient. These areas will become more evident as the lake gets lower. Prime depths have varied, but we are seeing most success in the 4-6 foot range.

Tactics:

Paying attention to the lake levels and adjusting accordingly will be the most important component of fishing right now.

Hatches:

We are seeing good number of chironomids right now. We have even seen a few callibaetis, but the lake will be drained before any of these bugs can really get going. Leaches are also still working well and its also a good time to throw those streamers.

Tips:

Every day until the lake is closed will be a little different. Expect to adjust each day.

Weather:

Short Term-  There will be a pretty good stretch of really nice weather coming up. Today will be the coolest with temps in the 60's. As we roll into next week, we will see temps akin to summer time highs. Expect sunny and sometimes windy conditions with highs in the 70's! Around mid week we will see some slight precipitation chances come back into the picture. This last week has been nice and cool, and we even saw some decent precipitation in the area. While it wasnt really enough to turn things completely around, it was extremely helpful. In all, this coming week is going to be absolutely gorgeous!

Long Term-  Next weekend, things will remain nice with temps in the upper 60's/ low 70's. Precipitation chances will increase as we get into the following week. Right now, its too far off to tell, but all signs are pointing at some extended wet and cool weather. Longer range weather forecasts are showing a wet pattern for the state. This would be the ideal scenario after a dry winter. One thing to note about that.. There has been a lot of talk about our lackluster winter. While that was the case, we are in decent shape for water in our local basins. No doubt we will see water restriction, etc. but the fishing will remain very good clear throughout the season and into fall. One thing we learn living here is that things can change very fast. And a spring and summer with normal or even slightly below normal rainfall, will keep us in good shape this year.

 ONLT A COUPLE MORE DAYS TO GET THOSE STILLWATER TRIPS IN ON ANTERO!!