Clear Creek, La Plata County Fishing
Special regulation water in La Plata County.
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A quick portrait of the Clear Creek, La Plata County
The Clear Creek, La Plata County is a Colorado stream flowing through La Plata County. Supplies wait in Durango, some 15 miles off.
1 reach, some 5.6 miles, carry rules of their own.
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (special-regulation, Gold Medal and fishing location layers), NHD flowlines, Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
How CPW manages trout on the Clear Creek, La Plata County
| Reach | Miles | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Confluence with Hermosa Creek / Headwaters | 5.62 | see CPW brochure |
On these Clear Creek, La Plata County reaches the brochure rule replaces the statewide bag.
Regulation entries on the Clear Creek, La Plata County
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Creek | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 14 |
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 land is the way onto the Clear Creek, La Plata County.
More places to launch near the Clear Creek, La Plata County
- Haviland Lake SWAHaviland Lake, 8 miles
- Mancos State Park on Jackson Gulch ReservoirJackson Gulch Reservoir, 20 miles
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, USGS gauges, retrieved October 25, 2026.
The keep-or-release rules on the Clear Creek, La Plata 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 |
Read the west of the Continental Divide rows of the statewide chart for the Clear Creek, La Plata County. Outside its regulated reaches, the Clear Creek, La Plata County 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.
Close to the Clear Creek, La Plata County
Backup lakes when the Clear Creek, La Plata County is slow
- Haviland Lake8 miles
- Henderson Lake11 miles
- Lemon Reservoir15 miles
- Jackson Gulch Reservoir20 miles
Shops worth the stop before the Clear Creek, La Plata County
- Duranglersfly shop, La Plata, 14 miles
- San Juan Anglersfly shop, Durango, 14 miles
- San Juan Anglerfly shop, Durango, 14 miles
- Anasazi Angler Incfly shop, Hesperus, 24 miles
Guide businesses near the Clear Creek, La Plata County
- Duranglers, Inc.fishing guide, Durango
- Fish and Fungi LLCfishing guide, Ignacio
- Fisher Guide Servicefishing guide, Bayfield
- 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
Towns that work as a base camp for the Clear Creek, La Plata County
- Durango15 miles
- Mancos22 miles
- Bayfield25 miles
- Mountain Village32 miles
More streams near the Clear Creek, La Plata County
- Castle Creek5 miles
- Hermosa Creek5 miles
- Deep Creek, La Plata County8 miles
- Roaring Forks Creek11 miles
County pages touching the Clear Creek, La Plata County
Reels from Piscifun that suit the Clear Creek, La Plata County
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Species photos for anglers bound for Clear Creek, La Plata County

Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Straight answers about the Clear Creek, La Plata County
Which Colorado counties does the Clear Creek, La Plata County cross?
Maps put it in La Plata County.
What trout label does the Clear Creek, La Plata County carry?
CPW regulates 1 reach of it.
Has USGS installed a gauge on the Clear Creek, La Plata County?
No USGS station on our Colorado list sits on it.
Which public land touches the Clear Creek, La Plata County?
No public point appears for it.
Which CPW chart rows cover the Clear Creek, La Plata County?
Check 1 reach in the table above. The entry says: Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately.
What does a CPW license cost for a day on the Clear Creek, La Plata 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.
Where can I buy flies near the Clear Creek, La Plata County?
Closest on our list: Duranglers, 14 miles.
Which species turn up in CPW sources for the Clear Creek, La Plata County?
CPW keeps no species roster for it.
How long is the drive from the Clear Creek, La Plata County to a Colorado town?
Durango, roughly 15 miles from where CPW maps the stream.
Aim the truck at the Clear Creek, La Plata County this season
Reach rules change the bag; read them first.

