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Colorado trout streams

Clear Creek, La Plata County Fishing

Special regulation water in La Plata County.

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Photo of Durango: Ahodges7, CC BY-SA 3.0

Colorado streams

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.

1counties
5.6regulated miles
0USGS gauges
0atlas 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

How CPW manages trout on the Clear Creek, La Plata County

ReachMilesRule as printed
Confluence with Hermosa Creek / Headwaters5.62see 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 printedRuleBrochure
Clear CreekArtificial 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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Access

Ramps and access on the Clear Creek, La Plata County

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.

Limits

The keep-or-release rules on the Clear Creek, La Plata County

SpeciesBag and possessionSeason
Trout, arctic char, grayling, salmon and whitefish (not kokanee)Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregateOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Brook trout 8 inches or less (bonus)Daily bag 10, possession 10Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Kokanee salmonDaily bag 10, possession 10Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Walleye, saugeye and saugerDaily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregateOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bassDaily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregateOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Smallmouth bassNo bag or possession limitOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Channel, flathead and blue catfishDaily bag 10, possession 10, in aggregateOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Yellow perchNo bag or possession limitOpen all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise
Northern pike and bullheadNo bag or possession limitOpen 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.

Nearby

Close to the Clear Creek, La Plata County

Backup lakes when the Clear Creek, La Plata County is slow

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

County pages touching the Clear Creek, La Plata County

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Know your fish

Species photos for anglers bound for Clear Creek, La Plata County

Rainbow Trout, Colorado
Rainbow Trout
Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0
Brook Trout, Colorado
Brook Trout
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0
Largemouth Bass, Colorado
Largemouth Bass
Photo: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0
Channel Catfish, Colorado
Channel Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Answers

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.