Rifle Gap Reservoir Fishing Report: Monday, November 2, 2026
The north ramp at Rifle Gap is closed for the rest of 2026, so leave the trailer on the pavement. Storage was 2,716 acre-feet at noon on November 2. Hand-launched canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards are still allowed if the mud lets you reach the water.
Launch
The park sits at 5775 Highway 325, Rifle. From Grand Junction, take I-70 to the Rifle exit, go north on Highway 13 through town on Railroad Avenue, stay right at the Y, and turn right on Highway 325. The Rifle Gap State Park page says the reservoir is about six miles after that turn. Hours are daily, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The office is daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The ramp is on the north side by the Pinon campground. The park page and the highlights page, both read November 2, 2026, say it is closed for the remainder of 2026 because the water is low. Gates will be locked. Hand-launched, human-powered boats are still allowed. The walk crosses exposed lakebed, and staff may close that walk for the day when the mud is bad. Inspections are done for the season because the ramp is closed. A hand-launched human-powered boat is exempt from the mandatory inspection on that page. Clean it, drain it, and dry it anyway. A park pass is required.
Water
USGS had Rifle Gap at 2,716 acre-feet at noon Mountain Time on November 2, 2026 (USGS Rifle Gap monitoring page). The locked gate is what the low water means for a trailer. Look at the lakebed before you start the walk, and open the station again the morning you go.
Fish
The CPW Rifle Gap Reservoir page names yellow perch, walleye, black crappie, rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, and northern pike. The highlights page names rainbow and brown trout, walleye, pike, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and yellow perch. From the bank, or from a hand-launched boat if the mud lets you, work the first drop off the exposed shore for the perch and walleye the page names. Lift, then pause.
Rules
The reservoir page sets walleye, perch, pike, and smallmouth lines. Those numbers stay on that page. Check CPW for current limits before you keep anything. Open the reservoir page and the CPW fishing brochure before you keep a fish. State law requires a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on a vessel, including a hand-launched boat, and children 12 and younger wear one whenever they are on a vessel.
Before you go
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Sources
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