Cherry Creek Reservoir Fishing
A 881-acre Colorado reservoir in Arapahoe County at 5,550 feet.
Pick for black crappiePiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Michael, CC BY 2.0
Cherry Creek Reservoir at a glance
Cherry Creek Reservoir holds around 881 surface acres within Arapahoe County. CPW gives an elevation of roughly 5,550 feet. Access runs through Cherry Creek State Park. For gas and groceries, Cherry Creek sits roughly 2 miles off. It falls inside the Northeast Region on CPW maps.
Anglers come here for black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass and rainbow trout, by the CPW list. Trailers back in at 2 boat ramps. Boating allowed: Motor boats (gasoline). Reaching it is easy; crowds are high, CPW says. CPW winter status: ice fishing listed as yes.
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (waterbody outline, Boatable Waters, fishing locations), Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
For the black crappie herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The fishery at Cherry Creek Reservoir
Every chip for Cherry Creek Reservoir comes from a CPW list, a state record or the trout stocking report.
CPW Boatable Waters species field, CPW state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Putting in at Cherry Creek Reservoir
- East Ramp on Cherry Creek Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection, State Parks; Cherry Creek State Park
- West Ramp on Cherry Creek Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection, State Parks; Cherry Creek State Park
Walk-up spots at Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Cherry Creek Reservoir fishing access near Four Square Mileaccessible fishing area
- Cherry Creek Reservoir fishing access near Cherry Creekaccessible pier, easy access, stocked: catchable trout and warmwater, 5,550 ft
Other CPW ramps around Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Quincy Reservoir boat rampQuincy Reservoir, 4 miles east
- Aurora Reservoir boat rampAurora Reservoir, 10 miles east
- North Ramps on Chatfield Reservoir near ColumbineChatfield Reservoir, 13 miles southwest
- South Ramp on Chatfield ReservoirChatfield Reservoir, 13 miles southwest
- Bear Creek Reservoir boat rampBear Creek Reservoir, 15 miles west
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Reservoir storage at Cherry Creek Reservoir
Corps of Engineers (Station cooperator) storage telemetry for Cherry Creek Reservoir (station CHRRESCO), recorded October 25, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026. Provisional data from CDSS.
Spring runoff fills Cherry Creek Reservoir; summer releases draw it down.
Bag limits at Cherry Creek Reservoir
| Species | Bag and possession | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee) | Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Brook trout 8 inches or less (bonus) | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Kokanee salmon | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Walleye, saugeye and sauger | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White bass, striped bass and wiper | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Channel, flathead and blue catfish | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White and black crappie | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Bluegill and other sunfish | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Yellow perch | Daily bag 20, possession 20 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Tiger muskie | Daily bag 1, possession 1; at least 36 inches long | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Northern pike and bullhead | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
CPW splits some limits by drainage, and Cherry Creek Reservoir falls east of the Continental Divide. Colorado has no closed season by species, so the chart applies all year at Cherry Creek Reservoir unless a special rule says otherwise.
The special regulation entry for Cherry Creek Reservoir
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek Reservoir | Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Bag and min. size for walleye is 3, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. Fishing prohibited from dam and within 100 ft. of dam or walleye spawning nets Mar. 1– April 15, or until walleye spawning operations are complet | p. 14 |
Special regulations as printed in the 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), pp. 11 to 39, checked against CPW Chapter W-1 (as approved 13 November 2025); retrieved October 2026.
Statewide bag and possession chart, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Recent trout releases at Cherry Creek Reservoir
Catchable trout reached Cherry Creek Reservoir often enough to earn 11 listings on the CPW report; the last is October 16, 2026.
| Report date | What CPW lists |
|---|---|
| October 16, 2026 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| July 3, 2026 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| June 19, 2026 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| June 12, 2026 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| November 21, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| October 24, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| July 18, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| June 27, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| April 25, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| December 13, 2024 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
| November 1, 2024 | catchable trout, CPW Northeast Region |
CPW Fish Stocking Report (catchable trout of about 10 inches; the date is when CPW added the water to its weekly list), 2024 to October 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Colorado stocking.
Measuring Cherry Creek Reservoir against close lakes
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation ft | Boat ramps | On the trout report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Creek Reservoir | 881 | 5,550 | 2 | yes | |
| Quincy Reservoir | 4 miles east | 127 | 5,717 | 1 | yes |
| Exposition Park Pond | 4 miles north | 4 | 5,463 | 0 | |
| Garland Pk Lake | 5 miles northwest | 3 | 5,379 | 0 | |
| Grasmere Lake | 7 miles northwest | 16 | 5,318 | 0 | |
| Smith Lake, Denver County | 7 miles northwest | 16 | 5,313 | 0 |
CPW Fishing Atlas, ramp layer and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
What sits near Cherry Creek Reservoir
Lakes to pair with Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Quincy Reservoir4 miles east
- Exposition Park Pond4 miles north
- Garland Pk Lake5 miles northwest
- Grasmere Lake7 miles northwest
- Smith Lake, Denver County7 miles northwest
Bait and flies near Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Cherry Creek Reservoir Marinamarina, Arapahoe, under a mile
- Marina at Cherry Creekmarina, Englewood, 1 mile
- Valley Country Tacklebait and tackle shop, Aurora, 2 miles
- Mystic Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Denver, 3 miles
- The Denver Anglerfly shop, Centennial, 4 miles
- D's Flyesbait and tackle shop, Centennial, 4 miles
Registered outfitters around Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Colorado Trout Hunters LLCfishing guide, Littleton
- Fish on Coloradofishing guide, Centennial
- Fishboy303, LLCfishing guide, Englewood
- Mile High Angler LLCfishing guide, Centennial
- Sunrise Anglers LLCfishing guide, Littleton
- Ascent Fly Guides LLCfly fishing guide, Littleton
- Colorado Fly Fishing Outfittersfly fishing guide, Littleton
- Mile High Sober Flyfly fishing guide, Centennial
Mountain and plains towns near Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Cherry Creek2 miles
- Four Square Mile3 miles
- Greenwood Village3 miles
Counties holding part of Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Arapahoe Countyseat: Littleton
What Piscifun makes for Cherry Creek Reservoir anglers
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Species photos for anglers bound for Cherry Creek Reservoir
Photo: Dezidor, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: BenitoJuarez98, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Eric Engbretson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Planning notes for Cherry Creek Reservoir in Q and A form
Which Colorado town makes the handiest base for Cherry Creek Reservoir?
It lies in Arapahoe County, CPW Northeast Region, about 2 miles from Cherry Creek.
How much surface does Cherry Creek Reservoir spread across when full?
The outline measures about 881 acres, at about 5,550 feet.
How many CPW ramps reach the water at Cherry Creek Reservoir?
2 boat ramps on the CPW layer, West Ramp on Cherry Creek Reservoir included.
Which species does CPW list for Cherry Creek Reservoir?
The CPW roster names black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, largemouth bass, rainbow trout and walleye.
How many trout can I keep at Cherry Creek Reservoir?
Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee): Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate. Special rules for it sit in the table above.
How much is a one-day license for Cherry Creek Reservoir?
Colorado sells no separate trout stamp; a CPW fishing license covers trout ($44.87 for adult residents, $124.01 for nonresidents), and anglers 16 and older need one.
How often does CPW stock Cherry Creek Reservoir?
Yes: 11 listings on the CPW catchable trout report (4 in 2026, 5 in 2025, 2 in 2024); latest October 16, 2026.
Where do anglers at Cherry Creek Reservoir get supplies?
Cherry Creek Reservoir Marina, under a mile out.
Where can I check storage at Cherry Creek Reservoir?
Check Colorado Division of Water Resources telemetry above.
What does CPW say about ice at Cherry Creek Reservoir?
ice fishing listed as yes, per CPW; conditions change daily.
Plan a Colorado day at Cherry Creek Reservoir
Fees, stamps and special rules sit on the license page.