Eagle River Fishing
Quality Water in Eagle County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Arriving on the Eagle River: what it is like
The Eagle River, a river, drains part of Eagle County. Roughly 60.5 miles of the Eagle River lie in the state. About 3 miles separates the mapped point from Wolcott.
Special regulations cover 3 reaches, roughly 103.2 miles. Walk in from Eagle River Preserve, Eagle River SWA and Gypsum Ponds SWA. USGS runs 5 active gauges on it.
CPW Quality Waters: The lower Eagle River provides a variety of high-quality trout fishing opportunities easily accessible along the I-70 corridor. Due to its lower elevation and milder winter weather, shore and wade angling is available almost year-round. As the snowmelt declines in late spring to early summer, the elevated seasonal flows provide excellent float angling opportunities from Wolcott to just below Gypsum. Angler access is strongly supported by CPW and Eagle County, both of which have developed ample opportunities for anglers to access productive fishing spots between public lands held by BLM from
CPW Fishing Atlas 2025 layers (special-regulation, Gold Medal and fishing location layers), NHD flowlines, Census places, retrieved October 25, 2026.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Regulated sections of the Eagle River
| Reach | Miles | Rule as printed |
|---|---|---|
| From Gore Creek downstream to confluence with Colorado River | 42.7 | From Gore Creek down to the I-70 Exit 147 bridge in the Town of Eagle: 1. The bag and possession limit for trout is two fish. From the I-70 Exit 147 bridge in the Town of Eagle down to the Colorado River: 1. The bag and possession limit for trout is two fi |
| I-70 Exit 147 bridge in the Town of Eagle / Confluence of the East Fork and South Forks of the Eagle River | 44.19 | see CPW brochure |
| Confluence with the Colorado River / I-70 Exit 147 bridge | 16.32 | see the brochure entry |
The atlas maps where each regulated reach of the Eagle River starts and ends; the rule itself is the brochure entry for the water.
What the brochure says about the Eagle River
| Water as printed | Rule | Brochure |
|---|---|---|
| From the confluence of the East Fork and the South Fork downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River: | Bag and possession limit for trout is 2. | p. 20 |
| From the I-70 Exit 147 bridge in Eagle downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River: | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. | p. 20 |
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.
Access points along the Eagle River
- Eagle River Preservepublic property
- Eagle River SWAState Wildlife Area
- Gypsum Ponds SWASWA, 92.4 acres
Public parcels on the Eagle River come from the CPW atlas property names.
CPW Fishing Atlas fishing location property names and Quality Waters access notes, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Species in the Eagle River
This list for the Eagle River joins CPW Quality Waters species, records and stocking; it is not a full survey.
CPW Quality Waters species, state records and stocking report, retrieved October 25, 2026.
How hard the Eagle River is running
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle River At Red Cliff, Co. | 9 cfs, 2.50 ft gage height | Nov 11 9:45 pm |
| Eagle River Near Minturn, Co | 26 cfs, 2.83 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:15 pm |
| Eagle R Blw Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon, Co | 40 cfs, 2.34 ft gage height | Nov 11 9:30 pm |
| Eagle River Below Gypsum, Co. | 133 cfs, 4.17 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:15 pm |
| Eagle River Below Milk Creek Near Wolcott, Co | 76 cfs, 3.17 ft gage height | Nov 11 10:15 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 10:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Watch the Eagle River gauge after storms and during runoff, when wading gets risky.
USGS instantaneous values, provisional; Eagle River At Red Cliff, CO, Eagle River Near Minturn, CO, Eagle R Blw Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon, CO and Eagle River Below Gypsum, CO.
Where the Eagle River runs
Expect to hike to the Eagle River; no access point is on file.
Backup boat ramps near the Eagle River
- Boat Ramp on Sylvan LakeSylvan Lake, 13 miles
CPW boat ramp and Fishing Atlas fishing location layers, USGS gauges, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Harvest rules for the Eagle 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 |
The drainage column of the limits chart puts the Eagle River west of the Continental Divide. Statewide numbers apply on the Eagle River wherever no reach rule is posted.
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.
Around the Eagle River on the map
Reservoirs and ponds near the Eagle River
- Nottingham Lake6 miles
- Sylvan Lake14 miles
- Piney Lake14 miles
- Gypsum Ponds15 miles
Stores that stock up the Eagle River trips
- Vail Valley Anglersfly shop, Edwards, 3 miles
- Fly Fishing Outfittersfly shop, Avon, 6 miles
- Hill's Discount Fliesbait and tackle shop, Avon, 7 miles
- Gore Creek Fly Fishermanbait and tackle shop, Avon, 7 miles
- Colorado Angling Companybait and tackle shop, Minturn, 12 miles
Hiring a guide for the Eagle River
- Anderson's Fish Camp LLCfishing guide, Avon
- Aspen Angling Company LLCfishing guide, Vail
- Basalt Fishing Expeditions LLCfishing guide, Basalt
- Colorado Angling Company LLCfishing guide, Edwards
- Gone Fishing Coloradofishing guide, Basalt
- Minturn Anglers LLCfishing guide, Minturn
- Minturn Anglers Vailfishing guide, Vail, (970) 688-5290
- Rocky Mountain Drifters LLCfishing guide, Basalt
Nearest towns to the Eagle River
- Edwards4 miles
- Avon7 miles
- Eagle10 miles
- Vail15 miles
Rivers within reach of the Eagle River
- Brush Creek, Eagle County10 miles
- Abrams Creek11 miles
- Gore Creek11 miles
- Hat Creek12 miles
the Eagle River on the county pages
Piscifun gear to pack for the Eagle River
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A camera tour of the water by Eagle River
Photo: Mcphail492, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: 23countries, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
The Eagle River, question by question
Where in the state is the Eagle River?
It runs through Eagle County.
Does the Eagle River have special trout rules?
CPW lists it among its Quality Waters.
Is the Eagle River wadeable right now?
The band above carries 5 USGS gauges.
How do Colorado anglers get down to the Eagle River?
Try Eagle River Preserve, Eagle River SWA and Gypsum Ponds SWA.
What is the trout limit on the Eagle River?
3 reaches follow their own rules, listed above. CPW prints: Bag and possession limit for trout is 2.
Is a CPW license required to fish the Eagle 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.
How far is the nearest shop from the Eagle River?
Vail Valley Anglers (3 miles).
Which sport fish does CPW tie to the Eagle River?
CPW sources name rainbow trout, brown trout and mountain whitefish.
Which town works as a base for the Eagle River?
About 3 miles away is Wolcott.
Plan a float or wade on the Eagle River
Check the gauge and reach rules before you go.