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Rainbow Trout
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain 
Brook Trout
Photo: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5 
Largemouth Bass
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0 
Channel Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Colorado trout streams
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Bear Creek, Montezuma County Fishing
Special regulation water in Montezuma County.
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Colorado streams
Getting to know the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
The Bear Creek, Montezuma County cuts its stream channel across Montezuma County. Rico is the closest Census place to the channel, roughly 12 miles away.
The atlas marks 1 reach as regulated water, near 14.9 miles. Open ground along it includes San Juan National Forest. The Fishing Atlas lists 1 mapped fishing location on it.
1counties
14.9regulated miles
0USGS gauges
1atlas access points
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (special-regulation, Gold Medal and fishing location layers), NHD flowlines, Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Special regulations
Gold Medal and regulated reaches of the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
| Reach | Miles | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Headwaters / Confluence with the Dolores River | 14.93 | rule text in the brochure |
Fish a regulated Bear Creek, Montezuma County reach by its own rule, not the statewide chart.
The Bear Creek, Montezuma County in the special regulations
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| From the headwaters downstream to the confluence with the Dolores River: | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag and possession limit for trout is 2. | p. 12 |
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.
CPW special fishing regulation and Quality Waters layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.
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Public access on the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- San Juan National ForestNational Forest
Colorado law gives no right to wade through private land, so stay on public parcels of the Bear Creek, Montezuma County.
CPW Fishing Atlas fishing location property names and Quality Waters access notes, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Access
Finding the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
Fishing locations, Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Bear Creek fishing access near Ricodifficult access, 8,612 ft
Ramps a short tow from the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Mancos State Park on Jackson Gulch ReservoirJackson Gulch Reservoir, 12 miles
- Joe Moore Reservoir SWAJoe Moore Reservoir, 13 miles
- Summit Reservoir SWASummit Reservoir, 16 miles
- Puett Reservoir SWAPuett Reservoir, 17 miles
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, USGS gauges, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Limits
Bag limits on the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
| 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 |
| Channel, flathead and blue catfish | Daily bag 10, possession 10, 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 |
| Northern pike and bullhead | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
On the CPW drainage map, the Bear Creek, Montezuma County lies west of the Continental Divide. Colorado streams stay open all year; on the Bear Creek, Montezuma County the bag is the variable.
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.
Statewide bag and possession chart, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026. All Colorado limits.
Nearby
Neighbors of the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
Colorado lakes in the Bear Creek, Montezuma County neighborhood
- Jackson Gulch Reservoir12 miles
- Joe Moore Reservoir13 miles
- Twin Spruce Ponds13 miles
- Summit Reservoir16 miles
Fly shops and bait stores around the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Duranglersfly shop, La Plata, 23 miles
- San Juan Anglerfly shop, Durango, 23 miles
- San Juan Anglersfly shop, Durango, 23 miles
- Doc's Marina McPheemarina, Dolores, 25 miles
- Anasazi Angler Incfly shop, Hesperus, 26 miles
Paid guides within reach of the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Duranglers, Inc.fishing guide, Durango
- Cole Glenn Fly Fishing LLCfly fishing guide, Durango
- Durango Fly Fishing LLC.fly fishing guide, Durango, (970) 799-5246
- Heads Up Fly Fishing LLCfly fishing guide, Ignacio, (970) 984-8433
Communities within reach of the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Mancos16 miles
- Durango24 miles
- Cortez27 miles
- Mountain Village31 miles
Creeks around the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
- Roaring Forks Creek4 miles
- Wildcat Creek8 miles
- Stoner Creek9 miles
- Spring Creek, Dolores County10 miles
the Bear Creek, Montezuma County and the counties around it
Piscifun
A Piscifun kit for days on the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
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Know your fish
Telling the species of Bear Creek, Montezuma County apart by photo
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Answers
Planning notes for the Bear Creek, Montezuma County
Where would I look for the Bear Creek, Montezuma County on a Colorado map?
Its Colorado basin takes in Montezuma County.
Is the Bear Creek, Montezuma County Gold Medal?
Yes, 1 reach carry their own rules.
Does a USGS station report flows on the Bear Creek, Montezuma County?
No gauge reports for it.
Is the Bear Creek, Montezuma County mostly private?
Public access: San Juan National Forest.
Is the Bear Creek, Montezuma County flies and lures only?
1 reach carry special rules; read the reach table and brochure entry. The brochure entry reads: Artificial flies and lures only. Bag and possession limit for trout is 2.
Can an out-of-state visitor buy a license for the Bear Creek, Montezuma County?
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.
Is there a fly shop near the Bear Creek, Montezuma County?
Drive 23 miles to Duranglers.
Which species does CPW list for the Bear Creek, Montezuma County?
Its fish are not listed.
Which Colorado town sits nearest the Bear Creek, Montezuma County?
Base yourself in Rico, roughly 12 miles away.
Put the Bear Creek, Montezuma County on this season's list
Flows and rules are on this page; check both.