Blue Mesa Reservoir Fishing
A 9,087-acre Colorado reservoir in Gunnison County at 7,523 feet.
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The short version on Blue Mesa Reservoir
The CPW outline of Blue Mesa Reservoir encloses about 9,087 acres in Gunnison County. Elevation on the Fishing Atlas reads 7,523 feet. On the Fishing Atlas, the property is Curecanti National Recreation Area. Around 22 miles separates the water from Gunnison. CPW manages it out of the Southwest Region.
Expect brook trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout and yellow perch, according to CPW. There are 5 boat ramps on its shore. Boat use on file: Motor boats (gasoline). Access is easy, pressure high, per the atlas. Winter note: ice fishing listed as yes.
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (waterbody outline, Boatable Waters, fishing locations), Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
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CPW sources tie these fish to Blue Mesa Reservoir; others may swim there too.
CPW Boatable Waters species field, CPW state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Boat ramps at Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Elk Creek boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection
- Iola boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection
- Lake Fork boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection
- Ponderosa boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoirboat ramp
- Stevens Creek boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoirboat ramp, ANS inspection
Where to fish from the bank at Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Blue Mesa Reservoir fishing access near Gunnisoneasy access, stocked: catchable trout and sub-catchables, 7,523 ft
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Storage and elevation readings for Blue Mesa Reservoir
National Weather Service (Station cooperator) storage telemetry for Blue Mesa Reservoir (station BLMRESCO), recorded October 25, 2026; retrieved October 25, 2026. Provisional data from CDSS.
A reading well below normal can close ramps at Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Colorado limits that apply at Blue Mesa Reservoir
| Species | Bag and possession | 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 |
Read the west of the Continental Divide rows of the statewide chart for Blue Mesa Reservoir. The chart above is the baseline at Blue Mesa Reservoir; a brochure entry can override it.
Rules that change at Blue Mesa Reservoir
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mesa Reservoir | Ice-fishing shelters must be portable. No bag or possession limit for lake trout. Only 1 lake trout longer than 32 inches may be taken per day. Snagging kokanee permitted Nov. 1–Dec. 31. Bag limit for kokanee is 5. Possession limit for kokanee is 10. | p. 13 |
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.
Statewide bag and possession chart, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026.
CPW stocking report entries for Blue Mesa Reservoir
Trout report entries for Blue Mesa Reservoir: 4 listings, ending October 10, 2025.
| Report date | What CPW lists |
|---|---|
| October 10, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Southwest Region |
| June 13, 2025 | catchable trout, CPW Southwest Region |
| October 11, 2024 | catchable trout, CPW Southwest Region |
| May 15, 2024 | catchable trout, CPW Southwest Region |
CPW Fish Stocking Report (catchable trout of about 10 inches; the date is when CPW added the water to its weekly list), 2024 to October 2026, retrieved October 25, 2026. Colorado stocking.
Colorado records caught at Blue Mesa Reservoir
| Species | Category | Weight or length | Angler | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | catch and release length | 41.25 in | Scott Enloe | 2024 |
| trout, lake | weight | 50-5.6 (lbs.-ozs.) | Donald Walker | 2007 |
| salmon, kokanee (snagging) | weight | 7-5.0 (lbs.-ozs.) | Lee Cox | 2002 |
CPW state records by weight and catch-and-release length, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), retrieved October 25, 2026. All Colorado records.
Weigh-ins at Blue Mesa Reservoir
The Blue Mesa Reservoir tournament page lists organizer dates and winners.
Sizing Blue Mesa Reservoir up against the reservoirs nearby
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation ft | Boat ramps | On the trout report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mesa Reservoir | 9,087 | 7,523 | 5 | yes | |
| Morrow Point Reservoir | 6 miles west | 755 | 7,165 | 0 | |
| Crystal Reservoir | 14 miles west | 254 | 6,756 | 0 | |
| Rowdy Reservoir | 19 miles southwest | 4 | 9,192 | 0 | |
| Buckhorn Lake Big | 20 miles southwest | 18 | 9,725 | 0 | |
| Buckhorn Lake Little | 20 miles southwest | 10 | 9,749 | 0 |
CPW Fishing Atlas, ramp layer and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Close to Blue Mesa Reservoir
Backup lakes when Blue Mesa Reservoir is slow
- Morrow Point Reservoir6 miles west
- Crystal Reservoir14 miles west
- Rowdy Reservoir19 miles southwest
- Buckhorn Lake Big20 miles southwest
- Buckhorn Lake Little20 miles southwest
Shops worth the stop before Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Lake Forkmarina, Gunnison, under a mile
- Eik Creek Marinamarina, Gunnison, under a mile
- Elk Creek Marinamarina, Gunnison, 8 miles
- Weekend Warrior Outdoorsmarina, Gunnison, 21 miles
- GSO Fishingbait and tackle shop, Gunnison, 22 miles
- Gunnison River Fly Shopfly shop, Gunnison, 22 miles
Guide businesses near Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Crested Butte Angler LLCfishing guide, Crested Butte
- Gunnison Valley Anglers Cofishing guide, Gunnison River, Gunnison
- High Mountain Drifters Guide Service, LLCfishing guide, Gunnison
- Dragonfly Anglers, LLCfly fishing guide, Crested Butte
Towns that work as a base camp for Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Gunnison22 miles
- Montrose29 miles
- Ridgway32 miles
County pages touching Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Gunnison Countyseat: Gunnison
Reels from Piscifun that suit Blue Mesa Reservoir
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Telling the species of Blue Mesa Reservoir apart by photo
Photo: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District, Public domain
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Photo: Nick Loveland, CC0
Photo: Ryan Somma, CC BY-SA 2.0
Blue Mesa Reservoir: the questions Colorado anglers bring
Which Colorado county holds Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Look in Gunnison County, CPW Southwest Region, about 22 miles from Gunnison.
What size is Blue Mesa Reservoir on CPW maps?
Roughly 9,087 acres, at about 7,523 feet.
Which ramp is closest at Blue Mesa Reservoir?
5 boat ramps, including Ponderosa boat ramp on Blue Mesa Reservoir.
What might a Colorado angler hook at Blue Mesa Reservoir?
CPW records show brook trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, lake trout, rainbow trout, yellow perch and kokanee salmon (snagging).
Which limits apply at Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee): Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate. The brochure adds a water-specific rule, shown above.
What does a CPW license cost for a trip to Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Colorado sells no separate trout stamp; a CPW fishing license covers trout ($44.87 for adult residents, $124.01 for nonresidents), and anglers 16 and older need one.
Does CPW stock Blue Mesa Reservoir?
CPW records 4 listings on the CPW catchable trout report (2 in 2025, 2 in 2024); latest October 10, 2025.
How far is the nearest tackle shop from Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Lake Fork is under a mile off.
Is Blue Mesa Reservoir low this year?
The water supply band above prints Colorado Division of Water Resources telemetry.
Which Colorado record was caught at Blue Mesa Reservoir?
Lake Trout, catch and release length 41.25 in, by Scott Enloe in 2024.
Does Blue Mesa Reservoir freeze for anglers?
The Fishing Atlas shows ice fishing listed as yes; check ice yourself before stepping out.
Hitch the boat and head for Blue Mesa Reservoir
Read the limits above, then pick a ramp.