Brook Trout in Colorado
brook trout under the 2026 CPW chart.
- 4 a daylimit
- 8 lb 8.9 ozrecord
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The Colorado file on Brook trout
CPW files brook trout with the trout group, and the 2026 statewide chart gives it 2 chart rows. In waters statewide waters the chart sets daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate.
Weight record: 8 lb 8.9 oz, Waterdog Lake, 2022. Look for it on 115 water pages that list species. The special regulations mention it 1 times, led by Garfield 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 |
| Brook Trout | Statewide | Daily bag 10, possession 10 | 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.
The Colorado record brook trout
On the scale
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 8 lb 8.9 oz | 26.25 in | Matt Smiley | Waterdog Lake | Hinsdale | 2022 |
Length category
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 22.25 in | Dylan Roby | Long Lake | 2025 |
Heritage lengths through 2019
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook Trout | 26 in | Mark Armstrong | Gunnison River | |
| Brook Trout | 26 in | Garrett McBride | Crystal Reservoir |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 16 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.
Colorado waters that change the brook trout limit
| Water and section | County | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Trappers Lake | Garfield | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and max. size for cutthroat is 2, 11 inches long. Cutthroat over 11 inches long must be returned to water immediately. No bag or possession limit for brook trout. Fishing … |
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.
brook trout and the weekly stocking list
CPW posts a weekly list of waters stocked with catchable trout (about 10 inches) without naming species; 2,425 listings cover 2024 to 2026.
CPW Fish Stocking Report and its archive, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Spots across the state where brook trout show up
Ponds and reservoirs with brook trout
- Blue Mesa Reservoir9,087 acres
- Vallecito Reservoir2,472 acres
- Antero Reservoir1,380 acres
- Vega Reservoir855 acres
- Platoro Reservoir751 acres
- La Jara Reservoir721 acres
- Gross Reservoir421 acres
- Williams Creek Reservoir332 acres
- Lake San Cristobal327 acres
- Trappers Lake323 acres
- Heart Lake, Garfield County315 acres
- Crystal Reservoir254 acres
- Avery Lake229 acres
- Red Dirt Reservoir190 acres
- Yamcolo Reservoir184 acres
- Road Canyon Reservoir151 acres
- Island Lake, Delta County147 acres
- Monarch Lake142 acres
- Brown Lake Upper140 acres
- Eggleston Lake Big132 acres
- Big Meadows Reservoir112 acres
- Big Creek Lake Upper111 acres
- Meadow Creek Reservoir, Grand County107 acres
- Dowdy Lake106 acres
Creeks and rivers with brook trout
- Beaver Creek, Fremont CountyFremont County
- Gunnison RiverGunnison County
- South Arkansas RiverChaffee County
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
Species filed beside brook trout
- Brown Trouttrout
- Cutbowtrout
- Native Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Snake River Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Golden Trouttrout
- Lake Trouttrout
- Rainbow Trouttrout
- Splaketrout
- Tiger Trouttrout
- Arctic Chartrout
- Graylingtrout
- Mountain Whitefishtrout
High-country water around Brook Trout, photographed
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain
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Brook trout across Colorado: common questions
How many brook trout may I keep in Colorado?
Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
Does CPW keep a record for brook trout?
8 lb 8.9 oz from Waterdog Lake, by Matt Smiley in 2022.
Which water pages on this site carry brook trout?
115 water pages here list it, starting with Blue Mesa Reservoir, Vallecito Reservoir and Antero Reservoir.
Which Colorado waters single out brook trout?
Yes; 1 entries name it, for example Trappers Lake in Garfield County.
Which category do brook trout fall under in Colorado?
Trout on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide.
Can I fish for brook trout all year in Colorado?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 1 special-regulation entries mention it.
Which Colorado license covers brook trout?
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 do I submit a brook trout to CPW?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 16 inches where none exists.
Plan a brook trout outing
Open a lake or stream above and read its rules first.