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Fly Fishing in Colorado

50 featured rivers, lakes and streams in Colorado, each with target species, a hatch chart and a map of nearby access.

Animas River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Through Durango with good populations of wild trout. Urban and canyon sections with diverse fishing opportunities.
Arkansas River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
From Leadville to Canon City, this river offers excellent brown trout fishing with easy access and beautiful mountain scenery.
Big Thompson River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Flows through scenic Big Thompson Canyon. Both wild and stocked trout with excellent access near Estes Park.
Blanco River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Near Pagosa Springs with wild brown and rainbow trout. Less crowded San Juan fishing.
Blue River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Below Dillon Reservoir, offering technical tailwater fishing. Known for large trout and challenging conditions.
Boulder Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Urban fishing opportunity in Boulder. Surprisingly good populations of brown trout with easy access throughout city.
Cache la Poudre River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout)
Colorado's only designated Wild and Scenic River. Excellent freestone fishing in scenic Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins.
Chalk Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Near Mt. Princeton hot springs. Wild brown and rainbow trout in beautiful canyon setting.
Cimarron River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Small stream in the San Juan Mountains. Wild brown trout in remote canyon setting south of Montrose.
Clear Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Accessible from Denver metro area. Good populations of brown and rainbow trout in canyon setting along I-70.
Cochetopa Creek (Brown Trout)
Remote stream in Cochetopa Wildlife Area. Wild brown trout in scenic high mountain meadows.
Colorado River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
From its headwaters to the canyons, offering diverse fishing experiences. The upper sections near Granby provide excellent trout fishing.
Conejos River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Southern Colorado gem with wild brown and rainbow trout. Remote fishing in scenic San Juan wilderness.
Crystal River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Scenic river near Marble and Redstone. Wild rainbow and brown trout in beautiful mountain setting.
Dolores River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Below McPhee Reservoir offers excellent tailwater fishing. Wild rainbow and brown trout in southwestern Colorado.
Eagle River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
A freestone river near Vail with good access and consistent fishing. Excellent caddis hatches in late spring.
East River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Crested Butte area stream with excellent brown and rainbow trout. Beautiful Gothic Valley setting.
Elk River (Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Near Steamboat Springs with native Colorado River cutthroat. Beautiful ranch country fishing in Routt County.
Florida River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Small stream near Durango with wild brown trout. Less crowded alternative to the Animas.
Fraser River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Near Winter Park, offering good fishing in scenic mountain meadows. Recovering fishery with improving populations.
Frying Pan River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Below Ruedi Reservoir, this Gold Medal tailwater is known for massive midge hatches and large rainbows. Year-round fishing opportunity.
Gore Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Through Vail with good populations of wild trout. Gold Medal water with excellent public access.
Gunnison River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
The Black Canyon section offers challenging fishing for large brown and rainbow trout in dramatic canyon scenery.
Lake Creek (Brook Trout, Brown Trout)
Near Twin Lakes with excellent brook and brown trout. High altitude fishing below Independence Pass.
Lake Fork of the Gunnison (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Scenic river near Lake City. Wild brown and rainbow trout with excellent dry fly opportunities.
Los Pinos River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Below Vallecito Reservoir in the San Juans. Wild brown and rainbow trout in scenic mountain setting.
Navajo River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Remote stream on Colorado-New Mexico border. Wild trout in scenic southern San Juans.
North Fork of the South Platte (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Wild trout stream southwest of Denver. Less pressured than Cheesman Canyon section.
Pass Creek (Brook Trout, Brown Trout)
Small stream near Wolf Creek Pass with brook and brown trout. High altitude fishing adventure.
Piedra River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Remote San Juan Mountains river with wild trout. Excellent dry fly fishing in pristine wilderness.
Piney River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout)
Near Vail with wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Less crowded than Gore Creek.
Rio Grande River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
The headwaters in Colorado offer excellent fishing for rainbow and brown trout in scenic high mountain meadows.
Roaring Fork River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
A Gold Medal stream flowing through Aspen. Excellent caddis and mayfly hatches with healthy populations of rainbows and browns.
Rock Creek (Gunnison) (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Tributary of the Gunnison near Crested Butte. Wild trout in beautiful mountain setting.
Saguache Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
San Luis Valley stream with wild brown trout. Less crowded alternative in southern Colorado.
San Juan River (Colorado) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Headwaters near Pagosa Springs with wild trout. Source of famous New Mexico tailwater.
San Miguel River (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Near Telluride with wild brown and rainbow trout. Beautiful canyon fishing in the western San Juans.
Slate River (Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Near Crested Butte with wild brook and rainbow trout. High altitude fishing in gorgeous mountain meadows.
South Fork of the South Platte (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Eleven Mile Canyon section offers excellent Gold Medal fishing. Wild brown and rainbow trout.
South Platte River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Multiple sections including Cheesman Canyon and Deckers offer technical fishing for educated trout. Gold Medal water with excellent public access.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir Tailwater (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Below Spinney Mountain Reservoir with trophy trout. Known for large fish in challenging conditions.
St. Vrain Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout)
Multiple forks offering diverse fishing. North St. Vrain near Rocky Mountain National Park has excellent wild trout.
Tarryall Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
South Park freestone with wild brown trout. Scenic meadow fishing in historic mining country.
Taylor River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Below Taylor Park Reservoir, this tailwater produces trophy trout. Known for technical fishing and large fish.
Tomichi Creek (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout)
Near Gunnison with wild brown trout. Scenic meadow fishing in Gunnison Valley.
Trout Creek (Buena Vista) (Brown Trout)
Near Buena Vista with wild brown trout. Scenic fishing in the Arkansas Valley.
Uncompahgre River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Flows through Ouray and Ridgway. Rainbow and brown trout fishing in spectacular San Juan Mountain scenery.
White River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Remote northwestern Colorado river with wild rainbow and brown trout. Less fishing pressure than Front Range waters.
Williams Fork River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Below Williams Fork Reservoir offers excellent tailwater fishing. Less crowded alternative to more famous waters.
Yampa River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Northwestern Colorado river with excellent populations of wild trout. Good hatches and scenic canyon sections.

Fly Fishing in Colorado

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