Skaguay Reservoir
Teller County, Colorado88 acresView mapDirections
Colorado WQCD publishes the water-quality measurements for Skaguay Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
- Public access
- Limited data
Skaguay Reservoir in Teller County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 88 acres.
Skaguay Reservoir is a 88-acre mesotrophic lake in Teller County, Colorado. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2020-09-18. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Skaguay Reservoir covers about 88 acres in Teller County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Skaguay Reservoir, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Skaguay Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited 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. Skaguay Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Skaguay Reservoir 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.
Water quality measurements for Skaguay Reservoir
These are the measurements Colorado WQCD publishes for Skaguay Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. Phosphorus 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 12µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 41 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Skaguay Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
88 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Colorado WQCD
The available depth estimate for Skaguay Reservoir is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
62 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
8,911 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Recreation & Access
- Skaguay Reservoir State Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Skaguay Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Skaguay Reservoir in Teller 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 Skaguay Reservoir
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Fishing Skaguay Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Skaguay Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Skaguay (completed 1901), built primarily for recreation on the West Beaver Creek; rockfill-type dam, 79 ft tall and 475 ft long.
- Surface area
- 88 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,066 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,570 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 62 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE (TAYLOR, MARGARET)
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO00481 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Skaguay Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit COARUA38_B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Teller County
Frequently asked questions about Skaguay Reservoir
Where is Skaguay Reservoir?
- Skaguay Reservoir is a lake in Teller County, Colorado. Its water-quality measurements are published by Colorado WQCD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Skaguay Reservoir?
- Skaguay Reservoir in Teller County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 88 acres.
Is Skaguay Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Skaguay 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 Skaguay Reservoir?
- The available depth estimate for Skaguay Reservoir is shallower than its measured water clarity, which cannot be right, so no depth is shown. The lake covers 88 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Skaguay Reservoir?
- Skaguay Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Skaguay Reservoir State Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Skaguay Reservoir?
- Skaguay Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing 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.
Explore Skaguay Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX18 samples · 2020
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)
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
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