Frequently Asked Questions

There is no fee to walk, run or ride a bike into Standley Lake Regional Park. There are free parking lots at 86th Parkway and Simms Street and 100th Avenue and Owens Street where people can park and walk into the park. These parking lots are closed and locked at sunset (official MST). There is a $7 fee to drive into the park.

Because of the City of Westminster’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program (ANS), all paddle craft must enter the main entrance and check in at the gatehouse.  All paddle craft must be sprayed (decontaminated) prior to launching before each use. There is no quarantine on kayaks, paddle boards or canoes (unless on a trailer). When you check in at the gatehouse, you may purchase a daily paddle pass then staff notifies a ranger to meet you at the spray station to spray your craft (paddle craft must be inflated prior to getting the spray if it is an inflatable). You then will receive a wristband indicating you have been sprayed. You must have a wristband to launch your paddle craft. Nothing enters the water without getting sprayed every time it is used on the lake. Also, all paddle craft must come in on top of a vehicle or in the bed of a truck.

Standley Lake is a drinking water supply for three cities, so due to water quality concerns, no swimming or wading is allowed.

Trailered boats are not be permitted on Standley Lake due to increasing concerns of zebra and quagga mussel infestation.

When at capacity, the lake is 96 feet deep at the face of the dam. It holds approximately 42,000 acre-feet of water. That is about 13 billion gallons of water. 

Standley Lake Regional Park is open year-round. The hours during the summer (May 1 to September 30) are sunrise to sunset for walk-in access and 6:30 am to 8 pm for those who drive in. Winter (October 1 to April 30) hours are sunrise to sunset for those who walk in and 7:30 am to one hour before sunset (official MDT) for drive-in access.

Definitely. The City of Westminster continually monitors water quality throughout the year.

No. Standley Lake is a regional park. Any fees associated with a state park do not apply at Standley Lake.

Standley Lake Regional Park is owned and operated by the City of Westminster. Westminster, the cities of Thornton and Northglenn and the Farmers Irrigation and Reservoir Company (FRICO) own the water rights.

No, the dam is private property and is owned by Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO).  

The lake is about 1,000 surface acres when at capacity. There are about another 2,000 acres of park and open space land surrounding the lake.

Yes. There is nothing wrong with the fish in Standley Lake, other than they are difficult to catch at times. The Colorado Division of Wildlife routinely stocks the lake throughout the summer, so there is a good turnover rate among the fish in the lake.

No.  Due to current Aquatic Nuisance Species Program regulations, night fishing is not allowed.

The paddling and camping season is May 1 through September 29. The shoreline is available for fishing year-round.

Due to the intergovernmental agreement between the cities of Westminster, Thornton, and Northglenn, jet skis and belly boats are not allowed on Standley Lake.

The eagles and their nest are located in the far west corner of the park.