Your Favorite Reservoir Might Be Closed But The Upper Colorado River Isn’t Going Anywhere

If you’re a Front Range local, you already know the drill: it’s June, it’s about to get hot, and your plan for the next few months involves a cooler, a paddleboard, and a reservoir within an hour of Denver. This year, though, that plan is running into some real obstacles. Between drought-driven drawdowns and a string of toxic algae blooms, several of Colorado’s go-to reservoirs are either closed outright or asking visitors to stay out of the water.

We’re not here to doom and gloom about it. We’re here to point out the obvious: rivers are still running, and the Upper Colorado River near Kremmling has everything a reservoir trip was supposed to give you this summer, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, camping, and fly fishing, without the headlines.

What’s Actually Happening at Colorado’s Reservoirs This Summer

A quick look at the news from the past few months explains why so many Front Range recreators are about to find themselves without a plan B.

Antero Reservoir Is Being Drained

Denver Water announced it’s draining Antero Reservoir and shifting that water to Cheesman Reservoir, about 40 miles east, specifically to cut down on evaporation losses during a brutal snow year. As of late April, Colorado’s snowpack sat at the lowest level on record for that date. Antero has the highest evaporation-to-storage ratio of any Denver Water reservoir, and moving the water is expected to save around 5,000 acre-feet, roughly a quarter of the reservoir’s capacity.

That’s a win for water conservation, but a tough break for anglers and campers who treat Antero as a summer staple. CPW authorized an emergency fish salvage so anglers could take advantage of the fishery before it disappeared, and outfitters who normally run dozens of trips to Antero each year have had to rebook clients elsewhere. CBS Colorado has been tracking the salvage operation as it unfolds, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife reporting over 1,000 trout pulled from the reservoir as the drawdown continues. You can read the full breakdown of the Antero situation from Rocky Mountain PBS here.

Toxic Algae Blooms Are Closing Swimming and Limiting Access

Even reservoirs that aren’t being drained are dealing with a different problem: heat. Shallow, slow-moving water heats up fast, and warm water is exactly what blue-green algae needs to bloom. Sloan’s Lake in Denver has a well-documented history of this, including a 2024 bloom that killed thousands of fish, and The Colorado Sun’s fact-check on the lake’s algae history is a good primer on why it keeps happening. Cherry Creek Reservoir has dealt with similar blooms along its shoreline, prompting CPW warnings to keep kids and pets out of affected areas.

The pattern is consistent enough that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment maintains an entire page on identifying and avoiding toxic algae blooms, and it’s worth a bookmark if reservoirs are part of your regular rotation. As temperatures climb, more lakes are likely to see the same advisories pop up throughout the summer.

Other Reservoirs Are Losing Public Access Altogether

Some of this year’s closures aren’t seasonal, they’re permanent. Colorado Parks and Wildlife recently announced a public fish salvage at Adobe Creek Reservoir (also known as Blue Lake) and Thurston Reservoir in southeastern Colorado, running from June 12 through July 15. The reason isn’t drought, it’s that the Fort Lyon Canal Company isn’t renewing the recreational lease that’s allowed public fishing there since 1970. Once the salvage period ends, public access to those fisheries closes for good.

It’s a reminder that reservoir access in Colorado isn’t guaranteed long-term. It’s tied to leases, water rights, and agreements that can change with little warning, which is exactly the kind of uncertainty a wild and scenic river doesn’t carry.

So Where Does That Leave Front Range Paddlers, Anglers, and Campers?

If your summer plans included stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, or camping at a reservoir, you’re probably looking at fewer options than you expected, and likely more crowding at whichever lakes stay open and algae-free. The good news is that most of what makes a reservoir appealing, calm water, scenery, room to spread out, isn’t unique to lakes. A river offers all of that too, with one big advantage: it keeps moving.

Moving water doesn’t sit around and heat up the way a shallow reservoir does, so it’s far less prone to the algae blooms closing down lakes across the Front Range. And because rivers are fed by snowmelt and tributaries rather than held in a single fixed pool, they’re not subject to the same evaporation math that’s driving decisions like the Antero drawdown.

Meet Your Backup Plan: The Upper Colorado River Near Kremmling

This is exactly the kind of summer the Upper Colorado River near Kremmling was built for. It’s under two hours from Denver, about an hour from Breckenridge and Summit County, and the water here runs Class I-II, gentle enough for first-timers and kids as young as 2, with options to add more excitement if your group wants it. The season typically runs May through October, so there’s plenty of summer left to get out there.

Scenic Float Trips (Half Day and Full Day)

If your reservoir plan was mostly about floating, relaxing, and maybe jumping off something fun, AVA’s Scenic Float Half Day and Full Day Scenic Float trips through Little Gore Canyon are the closest thing to a direct swap. Expect mellow Class II rapids, five miles of river on the half day option, opportunities to swim and sunbathe, and a chance to leap from Jump Rock when water levels allow. This is a trip built for the whole family, grandparents included.

Paddle Your Own: Duckies, Canoes, and Paddleboards

For paddlers who want more control than a raft offers, AVA runs three different ways to get hands-on with the river. The Inflatable Kayaks Half Day trip, often called “duckies,” lets you paddle your own kayak alongside the group (minimum age 10 with an adult). The Whitewater Canoe Half Day trip is a similar hands-on option through the same beginner-friendly Class I-II water. And the Stand Up Paddleboard Half Day trip covers five miles of river for anyone who’s been missing their SUP sessions at the lake. All three can be mixed within the same group, so nobody has to choose just one.

Camping and Overnight Trips on the River

Reservoir camping is popular for a reason: there’s something about sleeping near water. The Upper Colorado delivers that same experience without the algae advisories. AVA’s Overnight and Multiday Adventure Trips include all the camping gear and meals, so your group just shows up and rafts. You’ll spend the day on the water, settle into a riverside camp for dinner under the stars, and wake up to a fresh stretch of river the next morning, no lease renewals or evaporation concerns required.

Fly Fishing the Upper Colorado

For anglers who lost their summer spot at Antero, Adobe Creek, or Thurston, this is the section that matters most. AVA’s guided Fly Fishing trips on the Upper Colorado work for first-timers and experienced anglers alike, and if you want to turn it into a real getaway, the Two-Day Overnight Guided Fishing Trip combines float and wade fishing with a night of riverside camping, covering more water and more fishing opportunities than a single afternoon ever could.

Why a River Beats a Reservoir in a Hot, Dry Year

None of this is to say rivers are immune to a tough water year, levels do shift with snowpack, and our guides check conditions daily to make sure every trip runs safely. But the specific problems closing reservoirs right now, evaporation outpacing inflow and stagnant water overheating into algae blooms, are largely reservoir-specific issues. A flowing river simply isn’t built the same way a fixed pool of water is, which is a big part of why the Upper Colorado keeps running trips through exactly the kind of summer that’s shutting down lakes across the Front Range.

Plan Your Trip to the Upper Colorado River

Kremmling sits just under two hours from Denver, making it an easy day trip or an even better excuse for a weekend away. If you’re not sure where to start, a half day Scenic Float is the simplest entry point for families, while a full day or overnight trip makes more sense if you want to pair rafting with fly fishing or camping and turn it into a full Kremmling getaway. Bring layers, sunscreen, and a willingness to get a little wet, AVA takes care of the rest, including wetsuits and splash jackets at no extra charge.

Ready to book? Head over to AVA’s full list of trips to find the right fit for your group, or reach out directly and we’ll help you put together the right day on the water.

The River’s Still Running

It’s been a rough year for a lot of Colorado’s reservoirs, between drought, evaporation, and algae, there’s a lot working against them right now. The Upper Colorado River isn’t dealing with any of that. The canyon’s just as beautiful as ever, the water’s running, and there’s a seat on a raft, a duckie, a canoe, or a paddleboard waiting for you in Kremmling.