Blue River Fishing
18.9 Gold Medal miles in Summit County.
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A quick portrait of the Blue River
The Blue River is a Colorado river flowing through Summit County. Hydrography gives it some 64.7 Colorado miles. Supplies wait in Silverthorne, some 5 miles off. Some 18.9 miles carry the Gold Medal label.
6 reaches, some 61.6 miles, carry rules of their own. Public access runs through Blue River SWA, Blue River SWA – Blue River Unit and Blue River SWA – Sutton Unit. 4 active gauges send live readings.
CPW Quality Waters: The middle section of the Blue River supports a quality fishery consisting of rainbow and brown trout as well as kokanee salmon in the fall which migrate upstream from Green Mountain Reservoir. Ample public access is available through several parcels of the Blue River State Wildlife Area as well as US Forest Service property.
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (special-regulation, Gold Medal and fishing location layers), NHD flowlines, Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
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| Gold Medal reach | Miles |
|---|---|
| Green Mountain Res. to Colorado River | 15.6 |
| Dillon Res. to Hamilton Creek Road bridge | 3.3 |
CPW reserves the Gold Medal label for water able to produce 60 pounds of trout per acre and at least 12 trout of 14 inches or longer per acre; the Blue River qualifies on the reaches above.
CPW Gold Medal Streams layer (reach miles computed from the line geometry) and the Gold Medal list in the 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), p. 3, retrieved October 25, 2026.
How CPW manages trout on the Blue River
| Reach | Miles | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| From the northern city limit of Silverthorne downstream to Green Mountain Reservoir | 20 | From the north city limits of the town of Silverthorne downstream to the Colo 9 bridge over the Blue River at Blue River State Wildlife Area: 1. Fishing is by artificial flies and lures only. 2. The bag and possession limit and minimum size for trout is two fi |
| Confluence with the Colorado River / Green Mountain Reservoir dam | 15.74 | see the brochure entry |
| North city limits of the town of Silverthorne / Dillon Dam | 3.15 | rule text in the brochure |
| Green Mountain Reservoir inlet / Colo 9 bridge over the Blue River at Blue River State Wildlife Area | 0.86 | printed in the brochure only |
| North inlet at Summit Co Rd 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) / Dillon Reservoir inlet | 4.45 | brochure lists the rule |
| Colo 9 bridge over the Blue River at Blue River State Wildlife Area / North inlet at Summit Co Rd 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) | 17.38 | rule in the CPW brochure |
On these Blue River reaches the brochure rule replaces the statewide bag.
Regulation entries on the Blue River
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| from Dillon Dam to Hamilton Creek Road bridge From Summit CR 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) downstream to Dillon Reservoir: | Artificial flies and lures only. Brown trout over 14 inches long must be returned to water immediately. Fishing prohibited New Sept. 15–Dec. 1. | p. 13 |
| From Dillon Dam downstream to north city limits of Silverthorne: | Artificial flies and lures only. Trout must be returned to water immediately. | p. 13 |
| From north city limits of Silverthorne downstream to Colo. 9 bridge over the Blue River at Blue River State Wildlife Area: | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and min. size for trout is 2, 16 inches long. | p. 13 |
| From Colo. 9 bridge over the Blue River at Blue River State Wildlife Area downstream to Green Mountain Reservoir inlet: | Snagging kokanee permitted Sept. 1–Dec. 31. | p. 13 |
| From Green Mountain Dam downstream to the Colorado River: | Artificial flies and lures only. Trout must be returned to water immediately. | 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.
CPW special fishing regulation and Quality Waters layers, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Public property on the Blue River
- Blue River SWAState Wildlife Area
- Blue River SWA – Blue River UnitSWA, 92.9 acres
- Blue River SWA – Sutton UnitSWA, 15.2 acres
- Breckenridge Satellite Parkingpublic property
Stay inside public boundaries along the Blue River; trespass rules are strict.
CPW Fishing Atlas fishing location property names and Quality Waters access notes, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Fish that turn up in a Blue River creel
Fish shown for the Blue River come from CPW sources.
CPW Quality Waters species, state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
USGS readings for the Blue River
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Blue River At Blue River, Co. | 7 cfs, 0.50 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:45 pm |
| Blue River Near Dillon, Co | 30 cfs, 4.35 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:00 pm |
| Blue River Below Dillon, Co. | 63 cfs, 0.91 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:15 pm |
| Blue River Below Green Mountain Reservoir, Co | 66 cfs, 2.58 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 8:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Low winter flows on the Blue River concentrate trout in deeper runs.
USGS instantaneous values, provisional; Blue River At Blue River, CO, Blue River Near Dillon, CO, Blue River Below Dillon, CO and Blue River Below Green Mountain Reservoir, CO.
Ramps and access on the Blue River
Public land is the way onto the Blue River.
More places to launch near the Blue River
- Dillon MarinaDillon Reservoir, 9 miles
- McDonald Flats Ramp on Green Mountain ReservoirGreen Mountain Reservoir, 10 miles
- Frisco Marina on Dillon ReservoirDillon Reservoir, 11 miles
- Heeney Marina Ramp on Green Mountain ReservoirGreen Mountain Reservoir, 14 miles
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, USGS gauges, retrieved October 25, 2026.
The keep-or-release rules on the Blue River
| 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 |
Read the west of the Continental Divide rows of the statewide chart for the Blue River. Outside its regulated reaches, the Blue River follows the statewide chart.
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.
Colorado records from the Blue River
| Species | Category | Weight or length | Angler | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trout, Snake River cutthroat | weight | 17-2.6 (lbs.-ozs.) | Rob Peckham | 2005 |
CPW state records, 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), retrieved October 25, 2026.
Close to the Blue River
Backup lakes when the Blue River is slow
- Dillon Reservoir10 miles
- Green Mountain Reservoir12 miles
- Officers Gulch Pond13 miles
- Piney Lake14 miles
Shops worth the stop before the Blue River
- The Colorado Anglerfly shop, Summit, 8 miles
- Fly Fishingfly shop, Silverthorne, 8 miles
- Big Ed's Fishing Venturesbait and tackle shop, Dillon, 9 miles
- Dillon Marinamarina, Dillon, 9 miles
- Frisco Marinamarina, Summit, 11 miles
Guide businesses near the Blue River
- Alpine Fishing Adventuresfishing guide, Frisco, (303) 885-6292
- Cutthroat Anglers LLCfishing guide, Silverthorne
- Integrity Fishing Ventures Incfishing guide, Dillon
- Mountain Anglerfishing guide, Breckenridge, (970) 453-4665
- Silver Flask Fishingfishing guide, Dillon
- Summit Fishing Guidesfishing guide, Dillon, (970) 680-3474
- The Affable Angler Corp.fishing guide, Breckenridge
- Stonefly Angler LLCfly fishing guide, Breckenridge
Towns that work as a base camp for the Blue River
- Silverthorne5 miles
- Dillon8 miles
- Frisco11 miles
- Vail14 miles
More streams near the Blue River
- North Tenmile Creek11 miles
- Williams Fork11 miles
- Cataract Creek12 miles
- Tenmile Creek13 miles
County pages touching the Blue River
Reels from Piscifun that suit the Blue River
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Species photos for anglers bound for Blue River
Photo: California Department of Fish and Wildlife from Sacramento, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: USFWS Midwest Region from United States, Public domain
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Photo: Virginia State Parks staff, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
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Straight answers about the Blue River
Which Colorado counties does the Blue River cross?
Maps put it in Summit County.
What trout label does the Blue River carry?
It carries roughly 18.9 Gold Medal miles.
Has USGS installed a gauge on the Blue River?
Live numbers from 4 USGS gauges fill the flow band.
Which public land touches the Blue River?
The atlas names Blue River SWA, Blue River SWA – Blue River Unit, Blue River SWA – Sutton Unit and Breckenridge Satellite Parking.
Which CPW chart rows cover the Blue River?
Check 6 reaches in the table above. The entry says: Artificial flies and lures only. Brown trout over 14 inches long must be returned to water immediately. Fishing prohibited New Sept. 15–Dec. 1.
What does a CPW license cost for a day on the Blue River?
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.
Where can I buy flies near the Blue River?
Closest on our list: The Colorado Angler, 8 miles.
Which species turn up in CPW sources for the Blue River?
rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon and snake river cutthroat trout, per CPW.
How long is the drive from the Blue River to a Colorado town?
Silverthorne, roughly 5 miles from where CPW maps the stream.
Aim the truck at the Blue River this season
Reach rules change the bag; read them first.