Where is Steamboat Lake located?

Steamboat Lake is located in Routt County, Colorado.

Steamboat Lake

Routt County, Colorado

4.7(41 reviews)

About Steamboat Lake

Steamboat Lake is a state park reservoir in Routt County, about 25 miles north of Steamboat Springs near the small community of Clark. Surrounded by mountain views and open rangeland, the lake sits at the center of Steamboat Lake State Park and offers one of the more developed recreation experiences in the region. With a sand beach, marina, multiple campgrounds, and cabin rentals, this is a lake that accommodates everything from a quick afternoon swim to a full week of camping.

Fishing at Steamboat Lake produces brook trout in the 6- to 16-inch range, though reviewers note that catch rates can be slow, particularly on windy days when fly fishing becomes impractical. The lake supports a range of water sports including wakeboarding, water skiing, paddleboarding, and kayaking. Motorized boats are allowed, and the marina offers boat slip rentals, though the slip assignment process has drawn some confusion from visitors. A boat inspection station operates at the park entrance. The sand beach is popular with families but gets crowded by midday on weekends, so arriving early is recommended.

The state park charges $10 per vehicle per day for entry. Campgrounds are plentiful across several loops, with options for tent and trailer camping, though reviewers note that some loops cannot accommodate larger trailer campers and shade is minimal throughout. The park provides well-maintained bathrooms with free showers and a laundromat — a notable perk for extended camping stays. Cabins are also available to rent for those who prefer a roof. A small marina store carries most essentials.

Quiet hours run from 10 PM to 7 AM, though enforcement has been inconsistent according to some holiday-weekend visitors. The water can be murky at times, and afternoon rain is common, so pack layers and rain gear. Dogs are allowed on leash throughout the park. Nearby Clark and Steamboat Springs provide additional dining and supply options. Whether you are hauling a paddleboard or packing fishing gear, Steamboat Lake delivers a full-service state park experience with mountain scenery that reviewers consistently describe as stunning.

Reviews (10)

Patty West

Whoever gave this park a bad review should go back to the city and sit in their car. This place is peaceful and stunningly beautiful.

Amy Jodie

Amazing place to spend the day when visiting Steamboat or stay and camp!

Nathan Grace

Awesome lake beautiful water. Not alot of people.

Ashley Morikawa

We were camping nearby and spent a Saturday here fishing and paddle boarding. I would definitely recommend getting there early as the beach does get crowded and so does the parking lot. The lake has a sand beach and plenty flat space for tents. The bathrooms were within walking distance of the lake and also had showers and a laundromat available for use. Showers were free! And everything was well maintained. Its only $10 per day per vehicle to be at this park. And it’s a great view!

The Wimberleys

Heaven!!!!!!

Eric Roberts

I took 2 stars off my review -- I go to the Clark area every year to camp -- second time to camp at Steamboat lake state park. I went camping this year over the fourth of July long weekend. My rating of 3 stars is because the loud music in the island tent campground blasted from 10 pm to about 2 am at the level that one would hear at a concert-- quiet hours are from 10 pm on until something like 7am --I do not think the park rangers enforce or patrol at night for loud music etc after 10 pm ... not sure if I will be returning to the park again as due to waking early to go fishing and due to the loud music keeping me awake I put in at least 20 hours without much sleep. Thank you to the campers who do not have respect to others in the park.

Ann Billeter

Beautiful Lake. Kayaking was great!

Brittany Aragon

We return to this beautiful lake every year, but in the last 2 weeks, we had the pleasure of meeting some of the best staff steamboat has ever had the Ranger Tavin and Bella , Allison at boat inspection are the most wonderful group very helpful. Also, the staff at the visitor center was extremely helpful and kind. The marina needs work. The owner is friendly, and the store itself has almost everything you need, but the boat slip rental is confusing. Someone took our slip we paid for, so we had to go get a new one .

Joe Trujillo

Fished during colorados free fishing weekend! We showed up Saturday morning and it was significantly windy fly fishing was a no go and we had 0 bites. Sunday we showed hp in the evening and we were able to catch 1 trout even though it still seemed really slow and reports from other fisherman stated no catches. We did. See someone with a bucket tho so they caught something!! Looking forward to coming back to camp and fish! Dogs are allowed on leash the campground seems to be compact something to consider.

Ronald Burdette

Clean water food facilities and nice camp spots.