McPhee Reservoir is the county's big boating and fishing lake

McPhee Reservoir, north of Cortez and west of Dolores, is the largest body of open water in this part of the county and a center for boating and fishing. It sits on San Juan National Forest land, with developed boat ramps and lakeside recreation sites. Anglers come for warm-water and cold-water fish, and the lake holds species like trout, bass, kokanee, and walleye, each with its own catch rules set by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

If you plan to put a boat in the water, there is one step to plan around. Colorado requires that trailered and motorized watercraft pass an aquatic-nuisance-species inspection before launching. The inspection checks for mussels and other invasive hitchhikers that can ruin a lake. Hand-powered craft like kayaks and paddleboards are handled differently, but the clean-drain-dry habit still applies.

Why this matters: showing up with a boat and no plan for the inspection can mean a wait or a wasted trip, especially when ramp and inspection hours are limited by season. The lake level can also drop in dry years, which changes which ramps are usable.

Before you launch, check current ramp status, fishing rules, and inspection details with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the San Juan National Forest.