What is the deepest lake in Colorado?

Of the lakes with a published depth, McPhee Reservoir is the deepest at about 270 ft.

Deepest lakes in Colorado: 10 lakes ranked by depth

Which lakes in Colorado go deepest? These 10 have a published maximum depth, from McPhee Reservoir at about 270 ft down.

Deepest first

#	Lake	Deepest	Size
1	McPhee Reservoir	about 270 ft	4,470 acres
2	Lake Granby	about 221 ft	7,260 acres
3	Dillon Reservoir	about 215 ft	3,230 acres
4	Horsetooth Reservoir	about 200 ft	1,900 acres
5	Turquoise Lake	about 161 ft	1,750 acres
6	Taylor Park Reservoir	about 160 ft	2,000 acres
7	Lake Pueblo	about 135 ft	5,670 acres
8	Vallecito Lake	about 120 ft	2,720 acres
9	John Martin Reservoir	about 60 ft	11,700 acres
10	Antero Reservoir	about 18 ft	2,500 acres

1. McPhee Reservoir

McPhee Reservoir covers 4,470 acres. You will find it about 8.8 miles south of Cortez. McPhee Dam holds it on the Dolores. The fish here are walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and trout. It goes down to about 270 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. McPhee Reservoir is the largest reservoir in the San Juan National Forest, formed by a dam on the Dolores River.

McPhee Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake Granby

Lake Granby is a reservoir of some 7,260 acres. You will find it within an easy drive of Boulder (about 28 miles). It is the Colorado behind Granby Dam. The fish here are lake trout, trout and kokanee salmon. The deepest water is around 221 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Lake Granby is Colorado's third-largest body of water, created by Granby Dam as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.

Lake Granby today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Dillon Reservoir

Dillon Reservoir is a reservoir of some 3,230 acres. You will find it about 49 miles northeast of Boulder. It holds trout and kokanee salmon. The deepest water is around 215 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Dillon Reservoir, completed in 1963, is Denver Water's largest storage reservoir.

Dillon Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Horsetooth Reservoir

Horsetooth Reservoir spreads over 1,900 acres of water. You will find it about 2.4 miles north of Laporte. It holds smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye and trout. It goes down to about 200 ft. Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins was built in 1949 as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.

Horsetooth Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Turquoise Lake

At some 1,750 acres, Turquoise Lake is small enough to learn in a few trips. The lake is within an easy drive of Lakewood (about 74 miles). It holds lake trout and trout. It goes down to about 161 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and a steep ledge: good places to start.

Turquoise Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Taylor Park Reservoir

Taylor Park Reservoir covers 2,000 acres of water. The lake is near Crested Butte. Trout, lake trout, kokanee salmon and northern pike are the draw. At about 160 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Taylor Park Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Lake Pueblo

Lake Pueblo covers some 5,670 acres. It lies near Pueblo West. It is the Arkansas behind Pueblo Dam. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass and walleye are the draw. It goes down to about 135 ft. Pueblo Reservoir was built by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.

Lake Pueblo today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Vallecito Lake

Vallecito Lake is a reservoir of some 2,720 acres. You will find it near Bayfield. Trout, northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass are the draw. It goes down to about 120 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove worth a first look.

Vallecito Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. John Martin Reservoir

John Martin Reservoir spreads over some 11,700 acres. You will find it about 5.3 miles west of Las Animas. Walleye, catfish, crappie and white bass are the draw. The deepest water is around 60 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove worth a first look. John Martin Reservoir is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado.

John Martin Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Antero Reservoir

At 2,500 acres of water, Antero Reservoir is small enough to learn in a few trips. You will find it within an easy drive of Colorado Springs (about 59 miles). The fish here are trout and kokanee salmon. It goes down to about 18 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and an upper arm worth a first look.

Antero Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Fishing deep water

Deep lakes reward slow, vertical fishing: drop a jig or a spoon to the depth where fish show on the sonar and work it right there. In spring and fall the fish come shallow and any method works.