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Antero Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

South Park's trophy factory: shallow, fertile and famous for fast-growing giants.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
76 / 76 F
Wind
WSW 13 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Antero Reservoir is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WSW around 13 mph, rising pressure near 1003 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 78 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp76 F
High / Low76 / 41 F
WindWSW 13-15 mph
Pressure1003.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain32% cloud, 16%
Sunrise / Sunset06:35 / 19:29
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 76/41 F, wind 18 mph, rain 16%

Fair or better. A 18 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Antero Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Antero Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Antero Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 19 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 74 F, wind to 19 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 72 F, wind to 18 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Colorado requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

2 trout, 16-inch minimum; artificials recommended seasons vary. Confirm with CPW.

Access

Two ramps off US-24/285; shore and tube access around most of the basin.

About this water

~2,000 surface acres in South Park, Park County, CO. Denver Water storage; famous boom-cycle trophy stillwater.

Fishing Antero Reservoir: the full guide

The shallow giant

Antero sits at 8,900 feet in South Park: shallow, weed-rich and absurdly fertile, growing rainbows, browns and cutbows faster than anywhere in Colorado. Scuds and callibaetis feed them; float tubes and patience find them. Ice fishing is a winter institution when conditions align.

Growing giants at altitude

Antero's shallow, mineral-rich water grows trout faster than anywhere in Colorado: cutbows and browns gain multiple pounds a year on scud-and-snail buffets. CPW manages it openly as a trophy factory: periodic drainings reset it; the rebound years are legendary.

Float-tube country

Motors run limited and the lake fishes best low and quiet: float tubes over the weed channels, leeches and callibaetis under indicators, slow figure-eights with damsels in June. Wind builds by noon at 8,900 feet: mornings are the window, always.

Shallow soup, giant trout

Antero is a 20-foot-deep nutrient soup at 8,900 feet: scuds, damsels, and chironomids grow rainbows and cutthroat past 6 lb faster than any Colorado water. The technical game is float-tube stealth over the weed channels: stripping damsel nymphs in June, hanging chironomids under indicators the rest of the season. Periodic drain-and-refill cycles reset it: the years right after refill produce the giants.

Common questions

Why does Antero close sometimes?

Denver Water drains it periodically for storage and works: CPW then rebuilds the fishery, and the first years after refill produce the giants. Confirm current status: our page reflects conditions when open.

Why does Antero close periodically?

Denver Water drains it for dam work and drought storage cycles: each refill restarts the trophy clock. Review current status before driving South Park: when open, the first years are golden.

Is fishing good at Antero Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Spinney Mountain Reservoir14 miElevenmile Canyon Reservoir22 miTarryall Reservoir23 miTwin Lakes25 miArkansas River34 miSouth Platte River (Deckers)41 mi
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