Boaters around Buena Vista are in for a long wait. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is shutting down the trailer boat ramp at Clear Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area in Chaffee County for the entire 2026 boating season, and the adjacent campground will close starting April 6 so crews can tackle dam repairs and campground upgrades.
Shore fishing and hand-launched, non-motorized watercraft will still be allowed, but it will not be a quiet mountain getaway. Visitors are being warned to expect limited access, changing shorelines and the rumble of heavy equipment near campsites as the work unfolds. The extended outage is intended to improve low-water access at the ramp and give crews room to finish maintenance while runoff and snowpack stay low.
In a statement to the Denver Gazette, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the wildlife area will be closed to non-hunting and non-fishing activities and that only one access road to the reservoir will remain open. Zachary Baker, CPW assistant area wildlife manager, told the paper that "Clear Creek Reservoir is an important fishing destination" and noted that vault toilets will remain available. The agency also said it stocked more than 20,000 tiger trout fingerlings on April 2.
Official site and access rules
Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists restrooms and a boat ramp among the amenities at Clear Creek Reservoir State Wildlife Area and reminds visitors that anyone 16 and older must carry a valid hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area pass to enter. The agency also lists the Salida area office as a contact and provides directions to the reservoir from Buena Vista via Highway 24 and County Road 390.
What to expect at the ramp and campground
During construction, visitors should be ready for heavy equipment operating in the campground area and for shoreline access to be hit-or-miss as mud and silt shift around the work zone. Colorado Parks and Wildlife told the Denver Gazette that the boat ramp will stay closed through the 2026 season and is expected to reopen for the full 2027 boating season.
How anglers and paddlers should prepare
CPW is urging anglers and hand-launch users to follow aquatic nuisance species (ANS) rules: clean, drain, and dry all gear, and be ready for inspections or decontamination of motorized boats at inspection stations. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says its ANS program has conducted hundreds of thousands of inspections statewide in recent seasons and remains the first line of defense against zebra and quagga mussels.
With the ramp offline, Chaffee County loses a key trailer-launch spot this season, shifting most reservoir use to shoreline anglers and paddlecraft. Visitors are encouraged to check conditions before heading up and to consider nearby alternative launch sites if they need trailer access this year.
