Reservoir · Gunnison, Colorado
Blue Mesa Reservoir at Elk Creek Marina
Current Lake Rating
Unavailable
Current lake conditions cannot be rated because the available water observations are too old.
Rating confidence: Low
Should I Go?
Not Enough Data
Fishing guidance for this destination based on available lake conditions, weather, and seasonal context. It is not a boating, swimming, ice, or access-safety rating.
Why
- The latest water observations are too old to support a reliable fishing-window recommendation.
Watch for
- The readings shown below are historical and may not reflect current conditions.
Current Readings
- Water temperature
- 17.2 °C
- Last updated
- Sep 29, 2022, 4:15 PM
≈ 63 °F · Stale observation
Source: USGS · BLUE MESA RES AT ELK CR MARINA NEAR SAPINERO, CO · 382742107095301 · Stale data
Better Nearby Options
Checking nearby StrikeTracks waters…
Weather Near Lake
Current Weather
Clear
Temperature
62°F
Feels like
57°F
Wind
5 mph W
Wind gust
6 mph
Current precipitation
0.00 in
Updated
Sep 4, 2026, 11:15 PM
Recent Rainfall
Estimated precipitation near this lake
Last 6 hours
0.00 in
Last 24 hours
0.00 in
Last 48 hours
0.00 in
Little recent rainfall near this lake.
Next 24 Hours
Sat 3 AM
Clear
Temp 57°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 3 mph
Sat 7 AM
Overcast
Temp 53°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 1 mph
Sat 11 AM
Overcast
Temp 73°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 2 mph
Sat 3 PM
Mostly clear
Temp 81°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 10 mph
Sat 7 PM
Mostly clear
Temp 76°F
Chance 5%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 10 mph
Sat 11 PM
Mostly clear
Temp 62°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 3 mph
Four-Day Forecast
Sat, Sep 5
Overcast
High 81°F / Low 53°F
Chance 5%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 21 mph
Sun, Sep 6
Drizzle
High 82°F / Low 53°F
Chance 2%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 15 mph
Mon, Sep 7
Drizzle
High 73°F / Low 54°F
Chance 42%
Precip 0.12 in
Max gust 27 mph
Weather and rainfall are estimated for this lake's coordinates. Local conditions can vary, especially in mountainous terrain and during isolated storms.
Recent rainfall can influence lake level and access, but the timing and magnitude depend on watershed size, soil conditions, and reservoir operations where applicable.
Weather data: Open-Meteo
Reservoir Elevation History
Elevation is reported relative to the datum used by this USGS monitoring site. Elevations from different lakes or datums should not be directly compared.
Loading historical elevation…
Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Blue Mesa Reservoir at Elk Creek Marina is Colorado’s largest reservoir and a CPW Quality Water. StrikeTracks keeps this existing public ID on PATH B static fishery value. Current same-lake water temperature is stale, so the public condition class remains honest Unavailable / runtime abstention. This repair does not promote Monitoring-Backed, invent 00010, or remap marina sites. Hatch Match remains unpublished for this identity after Option-B local-expert seasonal research. No two Blue Mesa–named independent seasonal insect calendars.
Target species
Lake Trout
Salvelinus namaycush
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Wild
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
CPW 2026 brochure lists Blue Mesa Reservoir lake-trout special regulations, including no general bag limit and a one-fish over 32 inches daily cap.
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- Medium confidence
CPW Quality Waters lists Blue Mesa Reservoir. Rainbow trout are included as a verified catalog trout species; abundance is not invented.
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
- Great Lakes tributary
- No
- Flow regime
- Mixed flow regime
Large main-stem Gunnison storage reservoir in Curecanti NRA. Elk Creek Marina is one public access node, not a whole-reservoir thermal substitute. Kokanee are a CPW-managed forage and harvest species here; they are not encoded as Hatch Match insect events (FORAGE_DATA_AVAILABLE__HATCH_SCHEMA_NOT_APPROPRIATE).
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- Winter
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
Public reservoir fishing and marina access are managed with NPS Curecanti NRA and CPW. Confirm current NPS launch, ice, and seasonal rules. Catalog coordinates are the USGS point, not a verified launch pin.
Stocking information
CPW 2026 brochure special regulations manage lake trout and kokanee at Blue Mesa. Kokanee is described here from that regulation text and is not added as a new canonical species selector. Confirm current CPW stocking separately.
- Stocked
Rainbow Trout
Stocked · Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Official sources
2026 brochure: portable ice shelters; no bag/possession limit for lake trout except only one lake trout longer than 32 inches per day; kokanee bag 5 / possession 10; snagging kokanee Nov. 1–Dec. 31. Verify current rules.
Hatch Match
General fly suggestions
- Midge larvaGeneral stillwater midge-style family — not a live Chironomidae Hatch claim.
- Woolly-bugger-style streamerGeneral stillwater streamer family. Not a baitfish or kokanee Hatch event.
- Ant or beetleGeneral shoreline terrestrial family — not a local Hatch calendar.
These are general fishing suggestions, not a report of insects currently hatching at this destination.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Gunnison, Colorado
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
County
Gunnison
Management Category
Quality Water reservoir
Regulation Scope
Blue Mesa Reservoir at Elk Creek Marina / Curecanti NRA
Regulation Summary
Blue Mesa: lake trout special limits; kokanee bag/possession and seasonal snagging as in the 2026 CPW brochure.
Target Species
Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout
Public Access
Public
Description
Blue Mesa Reservoir at USGS 382742107095301 Elk Creek Marina (Curecanti National Recreation Area). CPW Quality Waters lists Blue Mesa Reservoir. Current 00010 at this site is stale (last IV 2022-09-29) and is not treated as live Monitoring-Backed or live Estimated evidence. Coordinates are the USGS monitoring-location point. Not Morrow Point, not Crystal, not Gunnison River, and not a silent remap to another Blue Mesa marina site.
