Colorado Gold Medal Waters
Gold Medal Waters offer the greatest potential for trophy trout fishing and angling success and usually have special regulations. Gold Medal Waters in this guide include: The Blue, Colorado, Fryingpan, Gunnison, North Platte, Rio Grande, Roaring Fork, South Platte (middle and south forks) rivers, Gore Creek, North Delaney Lake and Spinney Mountain Reservoir. Designations can change and don’t necessarily mean that other waters don’t fish as well.
Colorado Wild Trout Waters
These waters support self-sustaining trout populations and are stocked only in emergencies. These include sections of the following: The Animas, Blue, Cache La Poudre, Colorado, Conejos, Lake Fork of the Gunnison, East River, Laramie, Fraser, Gunnison, South Platte, Middle Fork of the South Platte, North Platte and Roaring Fork rivers, Cascade, Cochetopa, Los Pinos, North St. Vrain, Osier and Tarryall creeks, Emerald, Steamboat and Trappers lakes.
Colorado River. Photo by Jim Muth.
Bob Voth with a big rainbow from the Middle Fork South Platte River. Photo by Jim Muth.
Ratings
Ratings range from 1 to 10. A “1” is un-fishable, a “5” is fair, and a rating of “10” means the highest quality fly fishing experience in Colorado.
This guide highlights waters rated five and above. The ratings reflect my experience (plus those of my contributors) gained over many years and allow for seasonal problems, water conditions, etc. Use these ratings as a rough guide and comparison to your experience and those of your fly fishing friends.
Private Land
You must obtain permission to fish on private property in Colorado. If you don’t, you can lose your license. Historically, in Colorado the property owner owns the river bottom. Fly fishers cannot cross onto private property just because they were in the water or because they stayed below the high water mark.
In Colorado, you can float through private property if you enter the river on public land and leave the river on public land. Or, you can enter and exit the water on private land if you receive permission from the landowner. You cannot stop, leave the boat, and touch bottom, anchor or beach if you are on private land. Check at a local fly shop or read the Division of Wildlife regulations.
Hatches
We’ve listed the major hatches known for each water. This may change with conditions and fly fishers, so information here is general. From a local fly shop it’s gospel. In most cases try to offer something that matches the hatch.
Common Colorado Game Fish
Illustrations by Joseph R. Tomelleri.
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Colorado Cutthroat Trout
Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Lake Trout
Arctic Grayling
Mountain Whitefish
Northern Pike
Walleye Pike
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Black Crappie
White Crappie
Kokanee Salmon (spawning male)
Striped Bass
Flies to Use in Colorado
Adams Parachute
Royal Wulff
Comparadun
