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885-acre reservoir near Douglas County. The lake tops out around 190 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 872 acres of water rimmed by 19.6 miles of bank. A development index of 4.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 36% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 4.2 mi long by 1.6 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Jefferson County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: South Platte River, 11 mi northeast of here.
Spring puts smallmouth bass in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Fall smallmouth bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 48 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (86 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (48 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (86 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring yellow perch on Cheesman Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (162 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (162 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring puts northern pike in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring northern pike concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: kokanee sit in 10 to 30 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 30 to 70 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 86 ft range, good in winter. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (162 ft) | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Deep basin (162 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 | Break off the point (86 ft) | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, good in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 |
Early season brown trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 25 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 5 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 48 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Tie on a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Main-lake point (48 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (86 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cheesman Reservoir also holds rainbow trout (8 to 30 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 162 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 Cheesman Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Colorado fishing regulations →
Cheesman Reservoir is about 190 ft (58 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 smallmouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, kokanee, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout on Cheesman Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For smallmouth 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.
Fishing on Cheesman 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.
South Platte River 11 mi · Strontia Springs Res 18 mi · Eleven Mile Res 22 mi · Spinney Mtn Res 24 mi · Chatfield Reservoir 27 mi · McReynolds Reservoir 32 mi · Chicago Lake Lower 35 mi · Murray Lake 38 mi · Berkeley Lake 43 mi · Rocky Mtn Lake 43 mi · Arvada Reservoir 44 mi · Jim Baker Reservoir 45 mi
See how Cheesman Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Colorado · best northern pike lakes in Colorado · best rainbow trout lakes in Colorado · best yellow perch lakes in Colorado
More water nearby: Jefferson County fishing maps (5 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.