Fishing in San Miguel County, Colorado
Seat: Telluride. CPW Southwest Region.
- 3lake pages
- 2ramp sites
- 6stream pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Dolores River: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fishing San Miguel County, the overview
CPW counts San Miguel County among the counties of its Southwest Region, and the courthouse sits in Telluride. The 2020 count was 8,072 people; the Census Gazetteer lists 1,287 square miles of land and 2 of water.
Of the 3 lake pages in the county, Miramonte Reservoir spreads widest, and together they hold 568 acres. The highest lake page sits at 11,221 feet (Alta Lake Lower), so ice and snowmelt shape the season. The ramp list for the county counts 2 ramp sites. CPW maps 11 places to fish from land here, 5 with accessible piers or platforms. Ice fishing is listed for 3 lakes with pages here.
Census 2020 population and 2023 Gazetteer land and water area; CPW Fishing Atlas waterbodies, ramps and fishing locations, retrieved October 2026.
The San Miguel County angling map
CPW boat ramps and Fishing Atlas locations; lake pins are CPW waterbody points, stream pins the midpoint of the CPW reach. Checked October 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Lake pages for San Miguel County
| Lake | Acres | Elevation ft | Notes | Species listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miramonte Reservoir | 429 | 7,701 | ice fishing, gas motors | brown trout, rainbow trout |
| Trout Lake | 130 | 9,715 | ice fishing, no motors, trout stocked | rainbow trout |
| Alta Lake Lower | 9 | 11,221 | ice fishing, trout stocked |
From Telluride, these are the lake pages a short drive outside San Miguel County.
| Lake | From Telluride | Acres | Elevation ft | Notes | Species listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullers Lake | 10 miles south | 14 | 12,590 | ||
| Navajo Lake | 13 miles southwest | 8 | 11,159 | ||
| Molas Lake Big | 15 miles southeast | 23 | 10,516 | ice fishing, trout stocked | |
| Andrews Lake | 16 miles south | 13 | 10,749 | ice fishing, no motors, trout stocked | brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout |
| Ridgway Reservoir | 18 miles north | 967 | 6,770 | gas motors, trout stocked | brown trout, green sunfish, kokanee salmon |
| Cooper Lake | 20 miles east | 6 | 12,755 | no boats |
CPW Fishing Atlas waterbody outlines (acres from the outline), elevation and boating notes; species from CPW Boatable Waters. Retrieved October 2026.
Lesser reservoirs of San Miguel County
This table holds 4 named waters of San Miguel County that lack enough facts for their own page.
| Water | Acres | Elevation ft | Nearest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gurley Reservoir | 318 | Norwood | |
| Cone Reservoir | 183 | Norwood | |
| Applebaugh Pond | 2 | 7,397 | Placerville |
| Telluride Kids Pond | 0 | 8,764 | Telluride |
CPW Fishing Atlas waterbodies, retrieved October 2026.
Stream pages for San Miguel County
- San Miguel Riverriver, 1 reach with special rules (34.7 mi); 1 public access property; on the stocking report
- Deep Creek, San Miguel Countystream, 1 reach with special rules (6.4 mi)
- Elk Creek, San Miguel Countystream, 1 reach with special rules (6.4 mi)
- Fall Creek, San Miguel Countystream, 1 reach with special rules (3.1 mi); 1 public access property
- Goat Creekstream, 1 reach with special rules (6.1 mi)
- Muddy Creekstream, 1 reach with special rules (2.5 mi)
Cold water inside San Miguel County
Special trout rules apply on 9 streams across San Miguel County, Gold Medal on 0.
Statewide, the Gold Medal waters page lists each reach.
- Beaver Dams Creek1 reach with special rules (3.2 mi), near Norwood
- Disappointment Creek1 reach with special rules (2.1 mi), near Placerville
- Slate Creek1 reach with special rules (4 mi), near Ophir
USGS stations inside San Miguel County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| San Miguel River Near Placerville, Co | 273 cfs, 4.92 ft gage height | Nov 11 9:05 pm |
| South Fork San Miguel River Near Ophir, Co | 76 cfs, 1.94 ft gage height | Nov 11 9:15 pm |
| Lake Fork San Miguel Rv Abv Trout Lake Nr Ophir Co | 15 cfs, 2.56 ft gage height | Nov 11 9:15 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 9:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
CPW special-regulation, Gold Medal and Quality Waters stream layers (miles from CPW line geometry); USGS gauges. Retrieved October 2026.
Water stored behind San Miguel County dams
Co. Division of Water Resources storage telemetry for Miramonte Reservoir (station 6003512A), recorded October 25, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026. Provisional data from CDSS.
Co. Division of Water Resources storage telemetry for Trout Lake (Level & Alarm) (station TROUTLVL), recorded October 25, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026. Provisional data from CDSS.
Put-in spots spread across San Miguel County
- Dan Noble SWA on Miramonte Reservoir near Norwood (north)Miramonte Reservoir, boat ramp, universal-water ramp, condition excellent, CDOW
- Dan Noble SWA on Miramonte Reservoir near Norwood (south)Miramonte Reservoir, boat ramp, universal-water ramp, condition good, CDOW
San Miguel County shore and pier access (11)
- Alta Lake Lower fishing access near OphirAlta Lake Lower, easy access, stocked: catchable trout, 11,221 ft
- Applebaugh Pond fishing access near PlacervilleApplebaugh Pond, easy access, stocked: catchable trout, 7,397 ft
- Fall CreekFall Creek #1, easy access, 8,597 ft
- Miramonte Reservoir fishing access near Norwood, Dan Noble SWAMiramonte Reservoir, accessible pier, easy access, stocked: sub-catchables, 7,701 ft
- Miramonte Reservoir fishing access near Norwood, Dan Noble SWA 2Miramonte Reservoir, accessible fishing area
- Miramonte Reservoir fishing access near Norwood, Dan Noble SWA 3Miramonte Reservoir, fishing access
- San Miguel RiverSan Miguel R #3, easy access, stocked: sub-catchables, 7,357 ft
- San Miguel River, Lake ForkSan Miguel R, Lk Fk #1, easy access, 9,471 ft
- Telluride Kids Pond fishing access near Telluride, Town ParkTelluride Kids Pond, accessible pier, easy access, stocked: catchable trout, 8,764 ft
- Telluride Kids Pond fishing access near Telluride, Town Park 2Telluride Kids Pond, accessible fishing area
- Trout Lake fishing access near OphirTrout Lake, easy access, stocked: catchable trout, 9,715 ft
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers (ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu), retrieved October 2026.
Records and stocked water of San Miguel County
San Miguel County shows up on the trout report through 3 waters and 7 listings since 2024.
San Miguel County waters on the trout report
| Water | Listings | By year | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel River | 2 | 2026: 1, 2024: 1 | Oct. 9, 2026 |
| Trout Lake | 4 | 2026: 1, 2025: 2, 2024: 1 | July 17, 2026 |
| Alta Lake Lower | 1 | 2026: 1 | June 5, 2026 |
CPW Fish Stocking Report (catchable trout, about 10 inches; each listing is a week the water appeared on the report, 2024 to October 2026); CPW publishes no numbers or sizes per water. Retrieved October 2026. State records from the 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027).
Local rules across San Miguel County
Start with the Western Slope (west of the Divide) rows below, then check the named San Miguel County waters with special regulations.
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee) | Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Brook trout 8 inches or less (bonus) | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Kokanee salmon | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Walleye, saugeye and sauger | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Smallmouth bass | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White bass, striped bass and wiper | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Channel, flathead and blue catfish | Daily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| White and black crappie | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Bluegill and other sunfish | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Yellow perch | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Tiger muskie | Daily bag 1, possession 1; at least 36 inches long | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Northern pike and bullhead | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
San Miguel County waters in the brochure special regulations (7)
| Water and section | Rules | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Creek | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 17 |
| Elk Creek | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 21 |
| From the headwaters downstream to Woods Lake: | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 21 |
| Goat Creek | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 23 |
| From the Colo. 90 bridge at Pinon downstream to the confluence with the Dolores River: | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. | p. 34 |
| Woods Lake State Wildlife Area | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 39 |
Special regulations as printed in the 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), pp. 11 to 39, checked against CPW Chapter W-1 (as approved 13 November 2025); retrieved October 2026.
Fishing help inside San Miguel County
San Miguel County worms, lures and flies
- Telluride Anglerfly shop
- Telluride Flyfishersbait and tackle shop, Telluride
San Miguel County guide businesses on the DORA roster
- Telluride Fly Fishers LLCfly fishing guide, Telluride
- Telluride Fly Fishing Company, Incfly fishing guide, Telluride
Yellow Pages listings and chain store locators; DORA Office of Outfitters Registration roster (active business registrations with a fishing word in the name, placed by business city). Retrieved October 2026.
Within a short drive of San Miguel County
Communities of San Miguel County
- Telluridepop. 2,607
- Mountain Villagepop. 1,264
Around the edges of San Miguel County
- Dolores County20 miles south
- Montrose County29 miles north
- Ouray County36 miles east
- San Juan County44 miles east
Piscifun reels and grips for San Miguel County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
A photo lineup of the fish at San Miguel County
Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife from Sacramento, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: James Mann from Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: BenitoJuarez98, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Hunting in San Miguel County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for San Miguel County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Fishing inside San Miguel County: questions and replies
Which ramps serve boaters in San Miguel County?
The access list above names 2 ramp sites.
Which lake leads San Miguel County by surface area?
Miramonte Reservoir, about 429 acres by its CPW outline.
Is there Gold Medal trout fishing in San Miguel County?
The county has no Gold Medal designation.
When is fishing season in San Miguel County?
All year, day or night, apart from waters with a special closure.
Is a fly shop open in San Miguel County?
Telluride Angler is one of 2 listed shops.
How many guide businesses list San Miguel County?
The DORA outfitter roster places 2 guide businesses in the county.
Which CPW office handles fish in San Miguel County?
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Southwest Region.
Which town governs San Miguel County?
Telluride hosts the county government.
What does CPW charge to fish San Miguel County for a year?
A Colorado license year costs $44.87 for a resident adult and $124.01 for a visitor; seniors living in the state pay $12.96. Out-of-state day trippers pay $21.90; Colorado residents pay $18.07 per day. Adding a second line takes the $14.24 second-rod stamp.
Is any lake in San Miguel County under its own rule?
The brochure prints 7 special regulation entries for the county, starting with Deep Creek; all are in the regulations table above.
Is San Miguel County on the stocking report?
Yes; 3 San Miguel County waters appeared on the catchable trout report since 2024, 7 times in all.
Pick a San Miguel County stream
Lake pages print the stocking report dates.