Right Now

Vallecito This Week

This week at the lake — conditions, the bite, events, and who's open.

Right Now

Week of August 3 at Vallecito Lake

Built August 3, 2026 ·
🌡 84° / 60° hi / lo💧 43% of full pool🔥 Stage 1 fire (community)🌤 AQI 22 Good

Last readings as of August 3, 2026 — the tiles above the page and the linked dashboards carry the live values.

7-day forecast

Mon
88°
62°
💧7%
Tue
88°
63°
💧7%
Wed
89°
60°
💧11%
Thu
90°
60°
💧9%
Fri
89°
61°
💧9%
Sat
89°
60°
💧16%
Sun
88°
60°
💧31%

Highs in the 88–90° range, overnight lows 60–63°. Mostly dry and settled through the week.

Full interactive forecast — hourly, models & radar →

The lake

The lake is about 43% of full pool (56,063 acre-feet, 7636 ft), down about 30 inches this week — the usual summer irrigation drawdown.

Inflow to the lake is running about 83 cfs, with about 557 cfs released at the dam.

The public boat ramp is open (season runs May 1–Nov 1).

Lake storage across the year — median since 1941 with this year's path marked. Full lake history →

The likely players this week

The species most worth targeting around August — Low-light walleye; keep trolling kokanee:

Kokanee salmon (landlocked sockeye) — public domain

Kokanee salmon

Troll June–August with small dodgers or squids and fish early, before the wind comes up around 2 p.m.

Smallmouth bass illustration — USFWS, public domain

Smallmouth bass

Holds on rocky structure and around docks — June–July are the shallow months; work tubes, jigs, and crankbaits.

Walleye illustration — public domain

Walleye

A low-light fish — work 10–40 ft at dawn, dusk, or on overcast days; tough to target from shore.

A PRID day-use permit and a Colorado license are required — permit details. For this week's actual bite, see the weekly report or ask at the marina.

This week's events

  • Tuesdays — Locals Night at LePlatt's Pond

Full events calendar →

Trail picks

  • The Lake Trails / “Walk Path” · flat, lakeshore
    Signed flat segments along CR 501/CR 501A with benches and fishing spots — the closest thing to a lakeshore promenade. Great for families and a sunset stroll.
  • Vallecito Creek #529 — to the first bridge · ~3 mi round trip
    THE classic local hike from Vallecito Campground: 0.6 mi flat, then switchbacks above the creek to the first footbridge — the standard turnaround. Busy in summer.
  • Lake Eileen #899 · 2.1 mi one-way · ~1,150 ft
    The one locals under-mention — steep-for-its-length through aspen to a lily-pad lake and a ridge overlook of the reservoir. Wilderness rules apply.

⚠️ Vallecito Creek #529: the “Middle Bridge” (~5.5 mi up) washed out completely in the October 2025 flood — plan around it.

⚠️ Afternoon thunderstorms build most July–August days — start early and watch the sky, on the water and on the trail.

Full trail guide →

On the water

The public boat ramp is open (season runs May 1–Nov 1).

The Vallecito Marina has boat, pontoon, kayak and SUP rentals plus slips and fuel — book ahead in summer.

Permits: a PRID day-use permit (from $6/day) plus a Colorado license — details. Clean, drain & dry — launch guide.

Eat this week

★ = GoVallecito partner. Hours change seasonally — the business directory has the full list and links.

Tonight's sky

Sunrise 6:16 AM · Sunset 8:16 PM · Moon: Waning gibbous (74% lit).

Sunrise 6:16 AM · Sunset 8:16 PM · Moon: Waning gibbous (74% lit).

Vallecito sits under some of Colorado's darkest skies. More sky & solunar →

Before you head up

  • 🔥 Stage 1 fire restrictions in the lake community. Community stage effective Friday, July 24, 2026 (12:01 a.m.). Fire status & details →
  • 🌤 Air quality is Good (AQI 22). EPA monitor (Southern Ute, ~30 mi): AQI 32 Good · AirNow.
  • 📶 Cell service is spotty around the lake — download maps and directions before you come. First-visit tips →
  • 🚨 Emergency & lake contacts — 911, clinics, ranger, marina. Contacts →
Front desk? Hit print — the sheet condenses to a single page (conditions, 7-day, lake, events, and tonight's sky) for guests. Refreshed with every update, so a fresh copy is always a click away. Questions or a correction? contact us.

Auto-assembled from our live feed, the fishing and trails guides, the events calendar, and the business directory — the same sources the weekly Lake Report email uses. Conditions move fast up here; the linked pages carry the current numbers. How we verify →