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Rainbow Trout
Photo: ColtonOrbaker, CC BY-SA 3.0 
Brook Trout
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region from United States, Public domain 
Smallmouth Bass
Photo: ASprigOfFig at English Wikipedia, Public domain 
Channel Catfish
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Colorado trout streams
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Deep Creek, La Plata County Fishing
Special regulation water in La Plata County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of McPhee Reservoir: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Colorado streams
A quick portrait of the Deep Creek, La Plata County
The Deep Creek, La Plata County is a Colorado stream flowing through La Plata County. Supplies wait in Durango, some 8 miles off.
1 reach, some 5.2 miles, carry rules of their own.
1counties
5.2regulated 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 Deep Creek, La Plata County
| Reach | Miles | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| Headwaters / USFS Boundary | 5.21 | see CPW brochure |
On these Deep Creek, La Plata County reaches the brochure rule replaces the statewide bag.
Regulation entries on the Deep Creek, La Plata County
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| From the headwaters downstream to the USFS boundary: | Artificial flies and lures only. Cutthroat must be returned to water immediately. | p. 17 |
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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Ramps and access on the Deep Creek, La Plata County
Public land is the way onto the Deep Creek, La Plata County.
More places to launch near the Deep Creek, La Plata County
- Pastorius Reservoir SWAPastorius Reservoir, 14 miles
- Haviland Lake SWAHaviland Lake, 15 miles
- Mancos State Park on Jackson Gulch ReservoirJackson Gulch Reservoir, 16 miles
- Joe Moore Reservoir SWAJoe Moore Reservoir, 19 miles
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, USGS gauges, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Limits
The keep-or-release rules on the Deep 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 Deep Creek, La Plata County. Outside its regulated reaches, the Deep 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 Deep Creek, La Plata County
Backup lakes when the Deep Creek, La Plata County is slow
- Pastorius Reservoir14 miles
- Haviland Lake15 miles
- Jackson Gulch Reservoir16 miles
- Henderson Lake17 miles
Shops worth the stop before the Deep Creek, La Plata County
- Duranglersfly shop, La Plata, 8 miles
- San Juan Anglerfly shop, Durango, 8 miles
- San Juan Anglersfly shop, Durango, 8 miles
- Anasazi Angler Incfly shop, Hesperus, 15 miles
Guide businesses near the Deep 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 Deep Creek, La Plata County
- Durango9 miles
- Mancos17 miles
- Bayfield23 miles
- Cortez33 miles
More streams near the Deep Creek, La Plata County
- Castle Creek4 miles
- Clear Creek, La Plata County8 miles
- Hermosa Creek9 miles
- Animas River9 miles
County pages touching the Deep Creek, La Plata County
Piscifun
Reels from Piscifun that suit the Deep Creek, La Plata County
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Know your fish
Species photos for anglers bound for Deep Creek, La Plata County
Photo: ColtonOrbaker, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region from United States, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: ASprigOfFig at English Wikipedia, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Answers
Straight answers about the Deep Creek, La Plata County
Which Colorado counties does the Deep Creek, La Plata County cross?
Maps put it in La Plata County.
What trout label does the Deep Creek, La Plata County carry?
CPW regulates 1 reach of it.
Has USGS installed a gauge on the Deep Creek, La Plata County?
No USGS station on our Colorado list sits on it.
Which public land touches the Deep Creek, La Plata County?
No public point appears for it.
Which CPW chart rows cover the Deep 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 Deep 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 Deep Creek, La Plata County?
Closest on our list: Duranglers, 8 miles.
Which species turn up in CPW sources for the Deep Creek, La Plata County?
CPW keeps no species roster for it.
How long is the drive from the Deep Creek, La Plata County to a Colorado town?
Durango, roughly 8 miles from where CPW maps the stream.
Aim the truck at the Deep Creek, La Plata County this season
Reach rules change the bag; read them first.