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Colorado · Fishing
Berkley, Colorado sits in the northern Denver metro area, and while it's not a destination most anglers drive hours to reach, it has a handful of accessible stillwater spots worth knowing about if you're local or passing through.
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Berkley, Colorado sits in the northern Denver metro area, and while it's not a destination most anglers drive hours to reach, it has a handful of accessible stillwater spots worth knowing about if you're local or passing through. Mayham Lake, Jim Baker Reservoir, and Gordon Lake are the three fishable waters in the area, all falling into the lake and reservoir category — meaning you're casting from shore or a small watercraft into standing water rather than wading a river. That shapes everything from the gear you'll bring to the techniques that actually produce. These are community-accessible urban and suburban waters, which typically means stocked fish rather than wild populations, and fishing pressure that rises sharply on weekends and after work hours in warmer months. If you're after a quick session without a long drive, that's exactly what this area delivers. Expectations matter here: this is convenient neighborhood fishing, not a remote backcountry experience. Bring a simple spinning setup, check current Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations before you go, and plan around the stocking schedule if you want the best shot at active fish.
There are three fishable waters in the Berkley area: Mayham Lake, Jim Baker Reservoir, and Gordon Lake. All three are stillwater fisheries — lakes and a reservoir — so your techniques should be geared toward that rather than moving water.
All three locations are lake or reservoir fisheries, which typically means shore fishing or small non-motorized watercraft. Urban and suburban Colorado waters like these are generally supported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocking programs, so fish availability often tracks with stocking schedules rather than natural reproduction. Check the CPW stocking report online before your trip to time it well.
Jim Baker Reservoir
~1 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Bear Creek Lake City Park
~22 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Mayham Lake
~1 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Cherry Creek State Park
~26 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Gordon Lake
~2 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Rocky Mountain Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Rocky Mountain Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Berkeley Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Kalcevic Reservoir
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Ashland Reservoir
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Garrison Lake
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
Sloans Lake
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near CO.
A medium-light spinning rod in the 6- to 7-foot range handles most situations on these kinds of waters. Bring a mix of PowerBait or similar dough baits for stocked trout, small jigs, and a few inline spinners. A simple tackle box beats hauling a lot of specialized gear to urban lakes.
Early morning and the hour or two before sunset are generally the most productive windows on stillwater fisheries like these, when fish are more active near the surface and shoreline. Midday fishing in summer can slow down significantly as water temperatures rise and fish move deeper.
Yes, a valid Colorado fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older at all three locations. Specific rules around bag limits, gear restrictions, or seasonal closures can vary by water body and change year to year, so check the current Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations for Jefferson or Adams County waters before you go rather than relying on what was true last season.
