Upper Cataract Lake #63
- Jun–Jul
- best months
Is Upper Cataract Lake #63 open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Upper Cataract Lake #63 is a fishing lake in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the Dillon Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. It sits on the edge of the tree line in the Gore Range mountains, with dramatic views of Eagles Nest Peak. The trail to the lake climbs steadily through lodgepole pines, aspen groves and spruce/fir forests, and the Forest Service manages the surrounding land. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Dillon show July highs around 75°F with lows near 38°F, and the lake sits higher than that station, so temperatures there run cooler. The Upper Cataract - Mirror Lake hike starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Cataract Lake Loop is about 1.4 miles off. Climbers can head to Cataract Lake (Heeney, Colorado), about 1.5 miles away, and Lower Cataract Lake Loop #57 is roughly 1.9 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Rancho Del Rio17 mi away
- Cutthroat Anglers18 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Upper Cataract - Mirror LakeHiking0.1 mi
- Cataract Lake LoopHiking1.4 mi
- Cataract Lake (Heeney, Colorado)Rock climbing1.5 mi
- Lower Cataract Lake Loop #57Lake fishing1.9 mi
- Cataract Creek CampgroundCamping2 mi
- Elliott Creek CampgroundCamping4.6 mi
Green Mountain ReservoirRock climbingPhoto: Nathan Anderson nathananderson, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)4.9 mi- Lower/Upper Slate Lakes #65Lake fishing7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Confluence River AccessRiver fishing · ~29 min drive
- Lower Cataract Lake Loop #57Lake fishing · ~3 min drive
- Dillon ReservoirLake fishing · ~34 min drive
- Blue RiverRiver fishing · ~31 min drive
- Lost LakeRiver fishing · ~17 min drive
- Eaglesmere LakesLake fishing · ~5 min drive
- Barger Gulch Fishing AccessRiver fishing · ~28 min drive
- Lost LakeLake fishing · ~6 min drive
- Kimball Bridge (Highway 9)River fishing · ~28 min drive
- Booth LakeLake fishing · ~13 min drive
Also worth it near here
Eagles NestSummit · ~5 min drivePhoto: Jeremiah LaRocco, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- McDonald Flats CampgroundCamping · ~8 min drive
- Green Mountain ReservoirRock climbing · ~8 min drivePhoto: Nathan Anderson nathananderson, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Big Green Boating SiteBoat launch · ~9 min drive
Best time to visit Upper Cataract Lake #63
Best months: June–July. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 1°
12 wet
Feb
33° / 4°
11 wet
Mar
41° / 10°
11 wet
Apr
47° / 18°
11 wet
May
58° / 26°
10 wet
Jun
69° / 33°
9 wet
Jul
75° / 38°
12 wet
Aug
73° / 37°
13 wet
Sep
66° / 30°
10 wet
Oct
54° / 21°
8 wet
Nov
41° / 11°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 3°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dillon 1 E, CO, 19.4 mi away at 9,065 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
