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While fishing is a great reason to visit Clear Creek Reservoir SWA, the Clear Creek drainage offers also offers a number of dispersed camping sites, hiking trails, four wheel drive roads, historical sites and access to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. Hikers will find ample challenge on the nearby Colorado, Sheep Gulch, and Huron Peak trails. Or for a greater challenge the Missouri Gulch trail gives access to Mt. Belford, Mt. Oxford, and Missouri Mountain, three fourteeners. Mountain biking is limited to the 4-wheel roads in the area which are clearly marked with white arrows.
Primitive camping is available just west of the reservoir. Additionally, there are two primitive camping areas and numerous dispersed camping areas along the Clear Creek road, past the 2 ½ to 3 miles of privately owned property after reservoir. There is also a camping area with toilets available on the south side of Winfield. Be aware that there are special Black Bear food storage regulations in the Clear Creek Drainage. All food, refuse or other bear attractants must be stored in a bear resistant fashion.
Clear Creek Reservoir is managed primarily as a put-and-take rainbow fishery, although Snake River Cutthroats are also regularly stocked. Other species anglers may encounter are browns, brooks, and kokanee salmon. Tiger Muskie has been stocked to control the sucker population. The size limit for these elusive predators is 36 inches. For those looking for a change of pace, the creeks above the private ranch have an abundance of small brook trout.
2009 CDOW Forecast:
The City of Pueblo drained Clear Creek Reservoir to the conservation pool from July to mid-August 2007. This drawdown did not impact the fish population. The reservoir was full going into the 2008 fishing season Clear Creek Reservoir is traditionally one of the most productive and dependable fishing reservoirs in the upper Arkansas River basin. Catch rates consistently exceed one fish/angler-hour and the majority of anglers rate the quality of their fishing experience as good to excellent. It produces excellent fishing for stocked (10 inch) rainbow and Snake River cutthroat trout with an occasional large brown trout over 18 inches being taken.
Kokanee salmon survival and fishing has been poor in recent years. Reasons for this decline are being investigated. Kokanee snagging is allowed in the reservoir and upstream about 0.5 miles to the gauging station from October 31 to December 31. Fly casters are learning that kokanee salmon can be caught with small flies and egg patterns during the spawning run, usually from October to December.
A sterile cross between northern pike and Muskie, Tiger Muskie were recently introduced to this reservoir to prey on an abundant sucker population while providing the opportunity for anglers to catch a trophy sized fish. Sucker numbers are declining and tiger Muskie averaged 26 inches in 2008 and fish exceeding 30 inches were more common. The limit for tiger Muskie is one fish, 36 inches or longer.
The lake is serviced by one concrete boat ramp with plans to add docks in the near future. Boating was not allowed in 2008 to prevent the spread of zebra/quagga mussels into the reservoir. This policy is being reviewed this spring with the goal of allowing boating in 2009. Boaters should contact the CDOW before trailering watercraft to this water.
Getting there: From Buena Vista, go 13 miles north on Highway 24 to County Road 390, then 1/2 mile west to the reservoir.
Fees: State habitat stamp required.
Boating: None. Reservoir currently closed to boating.
Ice Fishing: Ice fishing is allowed
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