Boating season is about to begin in Colorado. Here are the opening dates for state parks
Feb 27, 2026, 9:34 AM
Colorado Parks and Wildlife wants boaters to know that the upcoming season will be less “yacht club” and more “extreme obstacle course” as water levels across the state continue to play hard to get.
As the state’s reservoirs gear up for the seasonal influx of captains and their crews, officials are warning that the “sea” in “shining sea” is currently looking a little shallow. Boaters are being advised to keep a sharp eye out for submerged debris, rocks, and the general indignity of getting a hull stuck in the mud.
Before anyone can legally reenact The Love Boat on a Colorado reservoir, however, the state has a few requests—and by requests, they mean a very specific mountain of paperwork.
To join the fun, mariners must register their vessels and purchase an aquatic nuisance species (ANS) stamp. The stamp is designed to fund the fight against uninvited guests like zebra mussels, which are the glitter of the underwater world: they’re tiny, they get everywhere, and they’re impossible to get rid of.
CPW officials also reminded the public that boat inspections are not optional, lest you accidentally smuggle a colony of hitchhiking mollusks into a new zip code.
For those who haven’t quite mastered the art of not crashing, the agency “strongly encourages” a boating safety course. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn that “port” and “starboard” are just fancy words for “left” and “right,” and that hitting a stump at 30 knots is generally frowned upon.
To top off the bureaucratic pre-game, boaters are encouraged to shell out for an annual state parks pass. It’s the golden ticket that grants access to all state parks, provided your boat is properly stickered, your mussels are nonexistent, and you haven’t been defeated by a low-tide sandbar.
In short: the water is low, the paperwork is high, and the stumps are waiting. Happy sailing.
Here is when boating season begins at seven of the state’s parks:
- Barr Lake: Wednesday, April 1 at 8 a.m.
- Boyd Lake: Friday, March 6 at 7 a.m.
- Chatfield (north ramp): Sunday, March 1 at 6 a.m.; both ramps: Wednesday, April 1 at 6 a.m.
- Cherry Creek: Sunday, March 1 at 8 a.m.
- Eleven Mile and Spinney: TBA pending ice conditions, check park websites for updates
- Jackson Lake: Sunday, March 15 at 8 a.m.
- North Sterling: Wednesday, April 1 at 8 a.m.
- St Vrain: Sunday, March 1 at 8 a.m.
