Arctic Char in Colorado
Limits, records and special rules for Arctic Char.
- 4 a daylimit
- 7 lb 7.68 ozrecord
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What CPW says about Arctic Char
Arctic Char belongs to the trout group on the CPW list, with 1 chart row in the 2026 chart. Under the waters statewide line: daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate.
CPW lists a 7 lb 7.68 oz fish from Dillon Reservoir (2023) as the weight record. 1 Colorado water pages on this site carry it on their species list. 1 brochure special-regulation entries name it, most of them in Summit County.
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| Chart row | Zone | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout, Arctic Char, Grayling, Salmon, Mountain Whitefish (except kokanee) | Statewide | Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (Colorado Parks and Wildlife), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026; the chart applies on every water not listed in the special regulations.
Colorado Arctic Char records
Heaviest fish
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Char | 7 lb 7.68 oz | 26.8 in | Pete McDonnell | Dillon Reservoir | Summit | 2023 |
Catch-and-release lengths
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Char | 25.38 in | Travis Divis | Dillon Reservoir | 2024 |
Pre-2020 length awards
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arctic Char | 26.875 in | Chuck Kubin | Mount Massive Lakes |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 18 inches where no record exists (the Master Angler qualifying length).
CPW Fishing Awards and Records and the 2026 brochure pages 6 and 7, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Arctic Char in the brochure special regulations
| Water and section | County | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Dillon Reservoir | Summit | Arctic char under 20 inches must be returned to the water immediately. Bag, possession and min. size limit for Arctic char is 1, 20 inches long. Brown trout over 14 inches long must be returned to water immediately. |
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.
Methods and bait rules for Arctic Char
- b. Crustaceans: The following crustaceans may be possessed east of the Continental Divide: virile crayfish, waternymph crayfish, calico crayfish, ringed crayfish and Southern Plains crayfish. The following crustaceans may be possessed on either side of the Continental Divide: freshwater shrimp …p. 8
2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (Colorado Parks and Wildlife),, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Hatchery trout and Arctic Char
Catchable trout, about 10 inches, appear on 2,425 report listings for 2024 to 2026, with water and date only.
CPW Fish Stocking Report and its archive, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Finding Arctic Char in Colorado
Still water holding Arctic Char
- Dillon Reservoir3,345 acres
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
Close relatives of Arctic Char on the Colorado list
- Brook Trouttrout
- Brown Trouttrout
- Cutbowtrout
- Native Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Snake River Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Golden Trouttrout
- Lake Trouttrout
- Rainbow Trouttrout
- Splaketrout
- Tiger Trouttrout
- Graylingtrout
- Mountain Whitefishtrout
Snapshots of lakes and rivers close to Arctic Char
Photo: Jay Miller from Fly to Eleven Mile Canyon just outside Colorado Springs, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The original uploader was Nationalparks at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Straight answers on Colorado Arctic Char
Can I keep Arctic Char in Colorado?
Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
Who caught the Colorado record Arctic Char?
7 lb 7.68 oz from Dillon Reservoir, by Pete McDonnell in 2023.
Which lakes list Arctic Char?
1 water page here list it, starting with Dillon Reservoir.
Are there waters with their own Arctic Char limits?
Yes; 1 entries name it, for example Dillon Reservoir in Summit County.
How does CPW group Arctic Char?
Trout on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide.
What dates apply to Arctic Char?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 1 special-regulation entries mention it.
What license does a visiting angler buy to fish for Arctic Char here?
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 long must a record Arctic Char be?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 18 inches where none exists.