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1,389-acre reservoir near Douglas County. The lake tops out around 60 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 1,595 acres of water rimmed by 11.3 miles of bank. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 45% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 3 mi of water from one end to the other, 2 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Douglas County. The nearest mapped water is Strontia Springs Res, 9 mi to the southwest.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (27 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 45 ft for winter. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a prime-rated point around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (27 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (27 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (51 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for fall channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (27 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (27 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (27 ft) |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring crappie concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring walleye on Chatfield Reservoir hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 27 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (27 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Chatfield Reservoir also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), rainbow trout (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 10 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 51 ft.
Access data: Colorado Parks & Wildlife — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3 | Catchable trout | — | — |
Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Chatfield Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
Chatfield Reservoir is about 60 ft (18 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 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, common carp, channel catfish, crappie, walleye, yellow perch, bluegill, rainbow trout on Chatfield Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Colorado Parks & Wildlife stocking report records, Chatfield Reservoir was most recently stocked Jul 3 with catchable trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Chatfield 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.
Strontia Springs Res 9 mi · South Platte River 16 mi · Berkeley Lake 17 mi · Rocky Mtn Lake 17 mi · Jim Baker Reservoir 19 mi · Arvada Reservoir 21 mi · Standley Lake 23 mi · Cheesman Reservoir 27 mi · Hunters Glen Lake 27 mi · Chicago Lake Lower 31 mi · Waneka Lake 32 mi · Gross Reservoir 32 mi
See how Chatfield Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Colorado · best smallmouth bass lakes in Colorado · best walleye lakes in Colorado · best crappie lakes in Colorado
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.