Dive-site story
Sunrise Beach sits on the eastern shore of Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins, serving as one of the primary open-water training locations in northern Colorado. Divers enter directly from the gravel shoreline into a gradually sloping reservoir bed featuring silt, rock outcroppings, and submerged training platforms. Because the reservoir sits at a high elevation, altitude diving procedures and dive computer adjustments are essential for every dive profile here.
Submerged training platforms placed specifically for skill practice and compass navigation drills
Opportunity to practice proper altitude diving profiles in a controlled shore-entry setting
Rocky ledges where local freshwater fish shelter along the drop-off
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Warmer surface layers make summer the most comfortable period, though sharp thermoclines persist at depth year-round.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth BassMicropterus dolomieu | Common | ||||||||||||
| Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss | Common | ||||||||||||
| WalleyeSander vitreus | Seasonal | ||||||||||||
| Freshwater CrayfishFaxonius virilis | Common |
Marine forecast
