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198-acre reservoir near Boulder County. The lake tops out around 118 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Barker Reservoir maps at 195 acres behind 3.5 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 29% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 1.2 mi, about 0.5 mi across. It sits in Boulder County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Gross Reservoir, is 7 mi to the east.
Early season muskellunge use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Tie on a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (100 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
Come spring, look for kokanee tight to the bank in 10 to 30 ft. Expect a summer slide to 30 to 70 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 80 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 53 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | open water | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates good come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 53 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Spring lake trout on Barker Reservoir hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. By summer they slide out to 35 to 118 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 100 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 35 to 118 ft | dawn | Deep basin (100 ft) | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (30 ft) | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Break off the point (53 ft) | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Barker Reservoir also holds rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer), splake (25 to 60 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 100 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Colorado waters are set by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Barker Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
Barker Reservoir is about 118 ft (36 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target muskellunge, kokanee, brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, splake on Barker Reservoir.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 100 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For muskellunge, the summer bite is best in the evening and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Barker Reservoir is regulated by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Colorado regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Gross Reservoir 7 mi · Woodland Lake 9 mi · Diamond Lake Upper 10 mi · Bob Lake 10 mi · Crater Lake #1, Upper 11 mi · Meadow Creek Reservoir 15 mi · Boulder City Reservoir 16 mi · Monarch Lake 16 mi · Arvada Reservoir 18 mi · Button Rock Res 18 mi · Waneka Lake 20 mi · Standley Lake 21 mi
See how Barker Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Colorado · best lake trout lakes in Colorado · best brown trout lakes in Colorado · best brook trout lakes in Colorado
More water nearby: Boulder County fishing maps (8 charts). Browse all Colorado fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.