Road Canyon Reservoir
Hinsdale County, ColoradoView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Road Canyon Reservoir in Hinsdale County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Road Canyon Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Road Canyon Reservoir in Hinsdale 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 Road Canyon Reservoir
Prices for Sep 4–6, 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 Road Canyon Reservoir → · more Colorado lake trips
Watch Road Canyon Reservoir’s letter
Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.
Or email
Why Road Canyon Reservoir has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Road Canyon Reservoir, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Road Canyon Reservoir is a lake in Hinsdale County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2023-06-20. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Road Canyon Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Road Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Road Canyon Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 5.6 ft. Phosphorus 62.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.1 µg/L. TSI 54.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 62.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Road Canyon Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Road Canyon Reservoir State Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Road Canyon Reservoir
- Road Canyon1.8 km
- Crooked Creek Dispersed Area3.0 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Road Canyon Reservoir
EPA Impairment Status
Road Canyon Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CORGRG38_D · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Road Canyon Reservoir
Road Canyon Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hinsdale County
Frequently asked questions about Road Canyon Reservoir
Where is Road Canyon Reservoir?
- Road Canyon Reservoir is a lake in Hinsdale County, Colorado. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Road Canyon Reservoir?
- Road Canyon Reservoir in Hinsdale County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 5.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 62.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.1 µg/L.
Is Road Canyon Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Road Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Road Canyon Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Road Canyon Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Road Canyon Reservoir?
- Road Canyon Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Road Canyon Reservoir State Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Road Canyon Reservoir?
- Road Canyon Reservoir has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Road Canyon, Crooked Creek Dispersed Area. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Road Canyon Reservoir across LakeQuality
5.9 mi away · 85 ft
4 thermal springs within 22 mi, nearest Birdsie Warm Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Colorado's top lakes, each with its grade
Colorado's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Colorado Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Colorado
Eutrophic Lakes in Colorado
Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX6 samples · 2023
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 (2)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles