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LakeQuality

Boyd Lake

Larimer County, Colorado1,747 acresView mapDirections

Colorado WQCD publishes the water-quality measurements for Boyd Lake. Here is what has been measured.

Clarity
4.6 ft
Typical for Colorado
Secchi · sampled 2021
Phosphorus
20 µg/L
Typical for Colorado
Measured by Colorado WQCD
Chlorophyll-a
5.1 µg/L
Typical for Colorado
Measured by Colorado WQCD
Area
1,747 acres
Surface area
Type
Mesotrophic
Trophic class
  • Mesotrophic
  • Public access
  • Limited data

Boyd Lake in Larimer County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1747 acres.

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Boyd Lake is a 1,747-acre mesotrophic lake in Larimer County, Colorado. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 8 other monitored lakes in Larimer County, Boyd Lake ranks #2 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2021-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.

Boyd Lake covers about 1,700 acres in Larimer County. It has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Boyd Lake on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.

What Boyd Lake is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Boat launch2 documented ramps
  • Big water1,747 acres

Swimming conditions

Readings only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Whether Boyd Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.

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Water quality measurements for Boyd Lake

These are the measurements Colorado WQCD publishes for Boyd Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.

Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 50.

Water quality readings
MeasureReadingWhere it sits
Water clarity (Secchi depth)4.6ftMeasured, not scored

How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer.

Total phosphorus20µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Chlorophyll-a (algae)5.1µg/LGood
GoodFairPoor
Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.50Mesotrophic
OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Ask about Boyd Lake

Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.

Lake Details

Surface area

1,747 acres

Public access

Yes

Listed by Colorado WQCD

No bathymetric survey has been published for Boyd Lake, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

2
Boat Landings
Yes
Public Access
  • Boyd Lake State ParkPublic
  • Boyd Lake State ParkPublic

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Boyd Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Boyd Lake in Larimer County, Colorado — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Boyd Lake

Prices for Oct 16–18, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Boyd Lake → · more Colorado lake trips

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Fishing Boyd Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Boyd Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Boyd Lake (completed 1900), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Big Thompson River-Os; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 10,729 ft long.

Surface area
1,747 ac
Normal storage
48,871 ac-ft
Max storage
59,981 ac-ft
Drainage area
17 sq mi
Hazard class
High
Owner
GREELEY-LOVELAND IRRIGATION COMPANY (DAN KAMMERZEL

All listed purposes: Fish and Wildlife Pond;Irrigation;Recreation;Water Supply.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO00157 · Operator website

Nearby Lakes in Larimer County

Frequently asked questions about Boyd Lake

Where is Boyd Lake?

Boyd Lake is a lake in Larimer County, Colorado. Its water-quality measurements are published by Colorado WQCD and shown on this page as reported.

What is the water quality of Boyd Lake?

Boyd Lake in Larimer County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1747 acres.

Measurements on this page ↑

Is Boyd Lake safe to swim in?

Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Swimming on this page ↑

Are there boat ramps on Boyd Lake?

Boyd Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Boyd Lake State Park, Boyd Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.

Access on this page ↑

Can I fish at Boyd Lake?

Boyd Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Colorado's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.

Access on this page ↑

Planning a trip around Rocky Mountain?

Boyd Lake is about 35 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.

Best time to visit Rocky Mountain →

Where this data comes from

12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD21COL001_WQX12 samples · 2021

Analytical methods

  • Secchi disk depth measurement
  • Phosphorus by Colorimetry
  • 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
  • Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.

Other records on this page

Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory