Brown Trout in Colorado
Finding brown trout, keeping them legally, and the records.
- 4 a daylimit
- 30 lb 8 ozrecord
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Brown trout for Colorado anglers
In the Colorado species list brown trout sits among the trout fish; the statewide chart has 1 chart row for it. Where the chart applies (waters statewide), the rule reads: daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate.
The 1988 fish of 30 lb 8 oz from Roaring Judy Ponds holds the state weight mark. The water pages here name it 125 times. 24 water-by-water rules in the brochure single it out, chiefly in Hinsdale 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.
Biggest brown trout in the CPW record book
Weight category
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Trout | 30 lb 8 oz | 36 in | Alan Schneider | Roaring Judy Ponds | Gunnison | 1988 |
Measured and released
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Trout | 30 in | Dustin Noha | Dillon Reservoir | 2025 |
Older Master Angler entries
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Trout | 38 in | Darrel Armstrong | Colorado River |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 22 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.
Waters with their own brown trout rules
| Water and section | County | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| from Dillon Dam to Hamilton Creek Road bridge From Summit CR 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) downstream to Dillon Reservoir: | Grand | Artificial flies and lures only. Brown trout over 14 inches long must be returned to water immediately. Fishing prohibited New Sept. 15–Dec. 1. |
| from Dillon Dam to Hamilton Creek Road bridge From Summit CR 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) downstream to Dillon Reservoir: | Summit | Artificial flies and lures only. Brown trout over 14 inches long must be returned to water immediately. Fishing prohibited New Sept. 15–Dec. 1. |
| Delaney Butte Lakes (North, South & East) | Jackson | Artificial flies and lures only. Scented flies or lures must be 1.5 inches or longer. Bag and possession limit for trout is 2. Brown trout 14–20 inches long must be returned to the water immediately. Rainbow, cutthroat … |
| 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. |
| From Bradfield Bridge downstream to the state line: | Dolores | No bag or possession limit for brown trout. |
| From Bradfield Bridge downstream to the state line: | Mesa | No bag or possession limit for brown trout. |
| From Bradfield Bridge downstream to the state line: | Montezuma | No bag or possession limit for brown trout. |
| From Bradfield Bridge downstream to the state line: | Montrose | No bag or possession limit for brown trout. |
| From Ruedi dam downstream to the confluence with the Roaring Fork River, approximately 14 miles: | Eagle | Artificial flies and lures only. Trout (except brown trout) must be returned to the water immediately. |
| From Ruedi dam downstream to the confluence with the Roaring Fork River, approximately 14 miles: | Pitkin | Artificial flies and lures only. Trout (except brown trout) must be returned to the water immediately. |
| From Almont to the U.S. 50 bridge. From 200 yards downstream of Crystal Dam to the north fork of the Gunnison. From the confluence of the East and Taylor rivers downstream to the U.S. 50 bridge: | Delta | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and min. size for brown trout is 2, 16 inches long. Rainbow trout must be returned to water immediately. |
| From Almont to the U.S. 50 bridge. From 200 yards downstream of Crystal Dam to the north fork of the Gunnison. From the confluence of the East and Taylor rivers downstream to the U.S. 50 bridge: | Gunnison | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and min. size for brown trout is 2, 16 inches long. Rainbow trout must be returned to water immediately. |
| From Almont to the U.S. 50 bridge. From 200 yards downstream of Crystal Dam to the north fork of the Gunnison. From the confluence of the East and Taylor rivers downstream to the U.S. 50 bridge: | Montrose | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and min. size for brown trout is 2, 16 inches long. Rainbow trout must be returned to water immediately. |
| From the confluence with High Bridge Gulch downstream to the BLM boundary below “The Gate” campground: | Gunnison | Artificial flies and lures only. Bag, possession and min. size for brown trout is 2, 16 inches long. Rainbow trout 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.
Catchable trout releases and brown trout
The weekly stocking report gives a water, a CPW region and a date for catchable trout, about 10 inches, with no species named: 2,425 listings, 2024 to 2026.
CPW Fish Stocking Report and its archive, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Pages that list brown trout
Lakes listing brown trout
- John Martin Reservoir11,712 acres
- Blue Mesa Reservoir9,087 acres
- Lake Granby7,046 acres
- McPhee Reservoir4,289 acres
- Eleven Mile Reservoir3,415 acres
- Pueblo Reservoir3,363 acres
- Dillon Reservoir3,345 acres
- Vallecito Reservoir2,472 acres
- Green Mountain Reservoir2,111 acres
- Taylor Reservoir2,041 acres
- Spinney Mountain Reservoir2,002 acres
- Horsetooth Reservoir1,824 acres
- Turquoise Lake1,756 acres
- Twin Lakes Lower1,708 acres
- Williams Fork Reservoir1,552 acres
- Wolford Mountain Reservoir1,548 acres
- Antero Reservoir1,380 acres
- Shadow Mountain Reservoir1,338 acres
- Queens Reservoir1,268 acres
- Ruedi Reservoir1,037 acres
- Ridgway Reservoir967 acres
- Vega Reservoir855 acres
- Trinidad Reservoir843 acres
- Twin Lakes Upper764 acres
Streams listing brown trout
- Yampa RiverRoutt County
- South Platte RiverJefferson County
- Colorado RiverMesa County
- Conejos RiverConejos County
- Roaring Fork RiverGarfield County
- Blue RiverSummit County
- Eagle RiverEagle County
- Grape CreekFremont County
- Elk RiverRoutt County
- Beaver Creek, Fremont CountyFremont County
- Cottonwood Creek, Chaffee CountyChaffee County
- Dolores RiverMontezuma County
- North Fork Cache La Poudre RiverLarimer County
- Rio GrandeRio Grande County
- South Arkansas RiverChaffee County
- Taylor RiverGunnison County
- Uncompahgre RiverOuray County
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
Colorado fish in the same group as brown trout
- Brook Trouttrout
- Cutbowtrout
- Native Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Snake River Cutthroat Trouttrout
- Golden Trouttrout
- Lake Trouttrout
- Rainbow Trouttrout
- Splaketrout
- Tiger Trouttrout
- Arctic Chartrout
- Graylingtrout
- Mountain Whitefishtrout
Reservoirs and creeks near Brown Trout in photos
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
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Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: The original uploader was Nationalparks at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Brown trout in Colorado, question by question
What is the Colorado bag limit for brown trout?
Daily bag 4, possession 8, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
How big is the Colorado record brown trout?
30 lb 8 oz from Roaring Judy Ponds, by Alan Schneider in 1988.
Where in Colorado do brown trout turn up most?
125 water pages here list it, starting with John Martin Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir and Lake Granby.
Is brown trout covered by any special regulation?
Yes; 24 entries name it, for example from Dillon Dam to Hamilton Creek Road bridge From Summit CR 3 (Coyne Valley Rd. 3 miles north of Breckenridge) downstream to Dillon Reservoir: in Grand County.
Where do brown trout sit on the CPW species list?
Trout on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide.
Is there a closed season on brown trout?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 24 special-regulation entries mention it.
Is a license required before casting for brown 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 is a length record for brown trout entered?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 22 inches where none exists.