Colorado Gold Medal Trout Rivers Fishing Guide

Colorado's Gold Medal rivers hold large numbers of trout 14 inches and longer. The South Platte and Fryingpan are tailwaters below dams that fish all year, while the Arkansas and Roaring Fork are bigger freestone rivers with spring caddis hatches and summer runoff. Each section has its own rules, from catch-and-release to 16-inch minimums, so read the CPW brochure for the exact stretch.

📍 Three areas: the South Platte southwest of Denver (the 'Dream Stream' between Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile reservoirs in South Park, and Cheesman Canyon to Deckers below Cheesman Reservoir); the Arkansas River from near Leadville through Buena Vista and Salida to Parkdale above the Royal Gorge; and the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork rivers at Basalt, near Aspen and Glenwood Springs.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Rocky Mountain Trout Rivers map →

Quick facts

Colorado Gold Medal Waters must hold at least 60 pounds of trout per acre and at least 12 trout 14 inches or longer per acre; river segments must be at least 2 miles long.
In 2014, 102 miles of the Arkansas River, from the Lake Fork confluence near Leadville to Parkdale, became Gold Medal water.
The Fryingpan's Gold Medal water runs about 14 miles from Ruedi Dam to the Roaring Fork at Basalt.
Cheesman Reservoir on the South Platte was built in 1905; its dam is 221 feet tall.
A 2014 Colorado Outdoors report put the Arkansas at roughly 3,000-4,000 fish per mile, about 80% wild brown trout.

What you can catch

Brown trout
Most of the Arkansas trout are wild browns; on the Fryingpan browns are the only trout you may keep.
Rainbow trout
In all four rivers; Cheesman Canyon has a spring run of big Kamloops-strain rainbows.
Cutthroat and cutbow trout
Spring fish in the Dream Stream; CPW lists a state-record cutbow from Spinney Mountain Reservoir.
Brook trout
Statewide rules allow 10 extra brook trout 8 inches or less on top of the trout limit, unless a water says otherwise.
Kokanee salmon
Run up the Dream Stream from Eleven Mile Reservoir in fall; parts may close Sept 15-Dec 31 for spawning.
Mountain whitefish
CPW records list whitefish from the Roaring Fork River.

Month by month

January	Tailwaters fish best: midges on the Fryingpan and South Platte. Cheesman flows often 50-75 cfs in winter.
February	Midges and small blue-winged olives on the Fryingpan.
March	Colorado license year begins Mar 1. Midday midges at Cheesman; Kamloops rainbow spawning run; Arkansas blue-winged olives start late March.
April	Blue-winged olives at Cheesman and on the Arkansas. Arkansas caddis start mid-April near Canon City and reach Salida around the end of April.
May	Caddis reach Buena Vista around May 10. Arkansas runoff starts late May; the Fryingpan stays fishable while the Roaring Fork runs high.
June	Green drakes start on the Fryingpan and Roaring Fork (June to early August), with PMDs. Free fishing on the first full weekend of June.
July	Green drakes and PMDs on the Fryingpan. Cheesman summer flows often 250-900 cfs; above 700 cfs gets hard and risky.
August	Green drakes end around Aug 1. Terrestrials and caddis; fish mornings and evenings.
September	Dream Stream: tricos and blue-winged olives; kokanee and lake-run browns move in. Spawning closures may start Sept 15 as posted.
October	Blue-winged olives on overcast afternoons, midges in the morning. Roaring Fork creek mouths at Fourmile and Threemile close Oct 1-Nov 30.
November	Dream Stream browns hold in deep bend pools; river edges start to ice. Midges.
December	Midges on the tailwaters. Posted Dream Stream spawning closures can run through Dec 31.

Tips

Buy a Habitat Stamp (ages 18-64) before your license; the 2026 license runs March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
Read the rules for your exact stretch: Cheesman Canyon is catch-and-release, but from the Wigwam Club to Scraggy View you may keep 2 trout 16 inches or longer.
On the Fryingpan, release every trout except brown trout.
Check Cheesman/Deckers flows before you go; Fly Fisherman calls 250-400 cfs ideal and says fishing gets hard and dangerous above 700 cfs.
Live fish may not be used for bait in the Arkansas River above Parkdale, or in any water west of the Divide or above 7,000 feet east of it.

Rules and license

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) · Official rules page ↗

License required at 16+; Habitat Stamp ($12.76) required for ages 18-64. 2026 nonresident fees: annual $124.01, 5-day $41.04, 1-day $21.90.
Statewide trout limit: 4 daily, 8 in possession, unless a water's special rules say otherwise.
South Platte, Spinney outlet to Eleven Mile inlet (Dream Stream): flies and lures only; release all fish; parts may close Sept 15-Dec 31 as posted.
South Platte, Cheesman Dam to Wigwam Club south line: flies and lures only, all trout released. Wigwam north line to Scraggy View: flies and lures only, 2 trout, 16-inch minimum.
Fryingpan, Ruedi Dam to the Roaring Fork (about 14 miles): flies and lures only; all trout except brown trout released.
Roaring Fork, McFarlane Creek to upper Woody Creek bridge: flies only, catch-and-release. Woody Creek bridge to the Colorado River: flies and lures, 2 trout, 16-inch minimum.
Roaring Fork, 50 yards above and below Fourmile and Threemile creek mouths: closed Mar 15-May 31 and Oct 1-Nov 30.
Arkansas Gold Medal reach (Lake Fork to Parkdale): the brochure lists no special limits for it, so statewide limits apply; no live-fish bait above Parkdale.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 5 boat ramps and 0 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Hecla Junction
Stone Bridge Takeout

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.