Is Cherry Creek Lake safe to swim?

As of July 20, 2026, Cherry Creek Lake in Arapahoe County, Colorado carries a swim caution. Satellite imagery measured 74,560 cells/mL of blue-green algae on July 19, 2026, elevated but below the 100,000 cells/mL advisory threshold. Rainfall over the past week totaled 0.5 in, which can wash bacteria and nutrients into the water.

How this read is built

Cherry Creek Lake is a lake in Arapahoe County, Colorado covering about 1.4 sq mi, the 34th-largest of the 107 lakes SwimZone monitors in Colorado. Satellite imagery measured 74,560 cells/mL of blue-green algae on July 19, 2026, elevated but below the 100,000 cells/mL advisory threshold.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms are most common from midsummer into early fall, when the water is warm, calm, and rich in nutrients from runoff. They can produce toxins that make people sick and can be rapidly fatal to dogs, so skip water that looks green, scummy, or like spilled paint, and keep children and pets out of it.

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Cherry Creek Lake has reached blue-green algae advisory levels in 4 of them, most recently in July 2026. Its highest recorded reading was 1,272,047 cells/mL in July 2020.

Is it safe to swim in Cherry Creek Lake right now?

Cherry Creek Lake carries a swim caution today. Satellite imagery measured 74,560 cells/mL of blue-green algae on July 19, 2026, elevated but below the 100,000 cells/mL advisory threshold. Conditions can change quickly with wind, heat, and rain, so check the posted signs and look at the water before you get in.

Does Cherry Creek Lake have blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)?

Low levels. Satellite monitoring measured 74,560 cells/mL at Cherry Creek Lake on July 19, 2026, below the 100,000 cells/mL advisory threshold. Keep an eye out for surface scum, which can concentrate quickly.

Can dogs swim in Cherry Creek Lake?

Use caution. Blue-green algae at Cherry Creek Lake are elevated (74,560 cells/mL on July 19, 2026). Dogs are far more sensitive to cyanobacteria than people, so keep them out of the water and away from surface scum.

How often does Cherry Creek Lake have blue-green algae blooms?

Over 7 summers of satellite monitoring since 2020, Cherry Creek Lake has reached blue-green algae advisory levels in 4 of them, most recently in July 2026. Its highest recorded reading was 1,272,047 cells/mL in July 2020.

How many Colorado lakes and beaches are unsafe for swimming today?

Today, 26 Colorado waters are above a safe-contact threshold and 3 more warrant caution, out of 113 monitored waters SwimZone tracks in the state.

How is Cherry Creek Lake's water quality measured?

SwimZone builds this read from EPA CyAN satellite imagery for blue-green algae, official beach and fecal-bacteria advisories where a program monitors Cherry Creek Lake, and a recent-rainfall overlay, all refreshed daily. It was last updated July 20, 2026.