Eleven Mile's North Shore boat ramps close Saturday, the same afternoon the Lake George Charter School holds its Halloween Carnival on US-24. The next morning, a list of campground loops goes dark. Two weeks after that, Spinney Mountain State Park closes for the season. Last winter, the reservoir was 99% iced over on December 30, and the marina was still hoping to get out on the ice by January 3.
So the season around Lake George doesn't end on one day. It closes in steps over about two weeks, and then there's a long, quiet stretch before anyone can fish through the ice. Eleven Mile Canyon is the piece that stays open through all of it.
The Calendar, in the Order It Happens
Here's how the closures stack up, starting Saturday, October 31:
- Saturday, Oct. 31: Colorado Parks and Wildlife lists the North Shore ramps at Eleven Mile State Park as closing October 31. Witcher's Cove is already closed for the season. The park water is off, and showers, flush toilets and laundry are shut down.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: CPW closes Rocky Ridge loops C through E, North Shore loops B through E, Stoll Mountain, Lazy Boy, Rocking Chair sites 610 to 613, Howbert Point and Witcher's Cove sites 807 to 822.
- Sunday, Nov. 1: Sign-up opens for 11 Mile Marina's ice-fishing tournament series.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Spinney Mountain State Park runs through November 15 each year, unless ice arrives first.
- Ice-on: No set date. CPW says only that it will post again once ice returns to Eleven Mile Reservoir.
CPW's seasonal pages show these as recurring dates, not as a 2026 announcement. Calling the park before a trip is still the safest check.
Saturday Is Doing Double Duty
The ramp closure lines up with one of the longest-running events in town. The Flume's Park County community calendar lists the Lake George Charter School Halloween Carnival as its 48th annual. It runs from 2 to 5 p.m. on October 31 at 38874 US-24, with a raffle, bingo and a cake walk. Wristbands cost $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
If you want a last morning at the reservoir, the timing works. Put in on the North Shore before the ramps close, then drive back down to the highway in time for the carnival.
Closed Loops Don't Mean a Closed Park
November 1 closes a lot of Eleven Mile, but not all of it. CPW keeps the park open for winter camping at the sites that stay open, with vault toilets and the dump station as the winter amenities. Many sites are closed and the services are bare-bones, but you can still camp at the reservoir in November.
The marina stays open too, on shorter hours. Its current report lists off-season hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. It also lists limited boat rentals in October by reservation at 719-748-0317. In the same report, the marina rates trout and pike fishing good to very good and kokanee poor.
Spinney is already running at reduced capacity before its November 15 close. CPW's posted conditions say the North Boat Ramp is closed to trailered launches because of low water, though hand-launched motorized boats are still allowed.
The Canyon Carries November
Below the dam, Eleven Mile Canyon stays open after the reservoir closures. The Forest Service describes the Eleven Mile Canyon Recreation Area as open year-round, weather permitting. Winter services are reduced, and the canyon may close during bad weather. From Lake George, the way in is County Road 96.
Here's what changes once the season ends:
| Canyon detail | In season | Off season |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance station | Staffed | Self-service fee station |
| Day-use fee | $11 per vehicle on the main Forest Service page | Same, paid at the self-service station |
| Annual pass | $100 | $100 |
| Blue Mountain Campground | Open mid-May to mid-October, weather dependent | Closed |
| Idlewild Picnic Area | Open, vault toilets, no potable water | Open year-round, weather dependent |
Bring a few dollars for the fee. The Forest Service's auto-tour page still lists $10 per vehicle, while the main recreation-area page lists $11. The main page is the newer of the two. Bus or van groups of 10 or more pay $25.
The Idlewild Picnic Area is the clearest example of a spot that's open all year. The Forest Service lists it as accessible year-round, weather dependent, with vault toilets and no potable water. Bring your own water for a November lunch by the river.
The river doesn't close either
The South Platte below Eleven Mile Dam is still fishable while the reservoir waits for ice, and it has its own rules. Under the Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations effective April 1, 2026, the stretch from just below Eleven Mile Dam down to the Wagon Tongue Gulch Road bridge at Springer Gulch is restricted to artificial flies and lures, and all trout must be returned to the water immediately.
That's our summary of the rule, not legal guidance. Check the current CPW regulation text before you fish.
Where the Ice Stood Last Year
The marina's season-by-season reports show how long the stretch between the last boat and the first ice can be. In the report dated 12.25.25, the marina's December 30, 2025 update recorded Eleven Mile at 99% ice cover and said it hoped to be on the ice by January 3.
That puts the marina about two months past the October 31 ramp closure and still waiting to get onto the ice. One winter isn't a pattern, and CPW doesn't publish a typical freeze date for Eleven Mile. Still, last season is the only concrete example on record, and it points to a long gap.
When the ice does form, CPW's ice-fishing guidance lists these points:
- Ice conditions vary from lake to lake and from spot to spot on the same lake.
- Stay off ice that is two inches thick or less.
- Four inches of good ice will hold a person on foot.
- Drill test holes no more than 30 feet apart as you go.
The marina's Eagle Claw/Shappell Colorado Classic sits at the far end of the gap. The marina lists events on January 9, February 6 and March 6, with sign-up opening November 1. November is when you sign up. The first event is in January.
A Slower Drive on US 24 for the Same Months
The highway work runs on a similar timeline. The Colorado Department of Transportation's Southeast Colorado Sign Replacements project is scheduled from November 2026 through June 2027, and the work on US 24 covers the stretch from Lake George to Divide. CDOT says to expect shoulder closures, single-lane closures, alternating one-lane traffic and lower speed limits, with minimal delays anticipated.
The Pikes Peak Courier's October 19 news briefs report that crews will remove and replace roughly 1,000 signs across Teller, Park and several other southeastern counties between November and June. Region Transportation Director Shane Ferguson said in the Courier report that the new signs have "improved reflectivity, making important information easier to see at night." That helps on a road you drive in the dark more often once the clocks change. In the meantime, plan on alternating-lane stops when crews are working between Lake George and Divide.
Where Lake George Shows Up Elsewhere This Fall
The same Courier briefs carry a Lake George item. The Lake George Gem & Mineral Club, which has given earth-science scholarships to Teller and Park County students since 1999, got no applicants this year. Instead, the club gave $1,000 each to the Cripple Creek District Museum, the Pikes Peak Historical Society and the Victor Lowell Thomas Museum. Those three museums are worth a visit in November while the reservoir sits between seasons.
Kellie Case and the team at The Case Advantage follow these seasonal shifts across Lake George and the rest of the Highway 24 corridor all year. Whether you're timing a project around the slow months or thinking about how a property near Eleven Mile fits your plans, we're glad to talk it through. Schedule a consultation.
