When is brook trout season in Colorado?

Colorado keeps brook trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Colorado bag limit for brook trout?

The Colorado daily bag limit for brook trout is 4 / day combined trout (brook trout count toward the statewide 4-trout aggregate with rainbow + brown + cutthroat + lake + golden); PLUS 10 additional brook trout 8 in or less / day (bonus beyond the 4-trout limit — CPW harvest-encouragement on stunted high-country brookies); no bag limit on Trappers Lake. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout; PLUS 10 in possession brook trout 8 in or less. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size brook trout can you keep in Colorado?

The Colorado size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum; the 10-fish bonus applies only to brook trout 8 in or less; Gold Medal Waters reaches carry 16 in min on the 2 / day combined-trout slot. Trophy rule: CO state-record brook trout 8 lb 9 oz (8.56 lb — 26.25 in) Waterdog Lake Hinsdale County (Matt Smiley, November 2022) — broke the 7 lb 10 oz Upper Cataract Lake record standing since 1947 (one of the oldest standing state fish records in the country until 2022); trophy brook trout come only from a handful of deep fertile high-altitude lakes (Waterdog + Upper Cataract); Trappers Lake carries NO bag or possession limit on brook trout to protect native Colorado River cutthroat from competition + introgression.

Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Colorado?

Yes. Colorado requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Colorado license — compare resident and non-resident Colorado fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Colorado?

Yes. In Colorado, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Gold Medal Waters + native-cutthroat conservation reaches; Live bait prohibited on Gold Medal Waters + listed Quality reaches; Federal NPS regulations apply within Rocky Mountain NP + Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP + Curecanti NRA (CPW Fishing License valid — NPS does NOT supersede CPW); CPW Habitat Stamp + Fishing License required ages 18+ ($11.97 res / NR Habitat Stamp + $36.08 res annual / $97.97 NR annual); CPW Second-Rod Stamp $5.31 required to fish with 2 rods simultaneously on most waters; Confirm current-year CPW Fishing Regulations for District-by-District bonus-brook-trout + Gold Medal reach list.

Do specific Colorado waters have different brook trout rules?

Yes. 5 named Colorado waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including Trappers Lake, Waterdog Lake, High-country streams, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Colorado Brook trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Salvelinus fontinalis

Last updated May 30, 2026

Colorado brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is the most widespread + abundant trout in the state's high-country streams + alpine lakes — introduced from the eastern United States in the late 19th century + now self-sustaining across nearly every cold headwater drainage above 8,000 ft. Brook trout are prolific fall spawners that overpopulate + stunt in cold, infertile high-elevation water, out-competing native cutthroat trout — so CPW manages them with the most liberal trout rule in the state: the statewide 4-trout combined daily bag applies, PLUS anglers may keep 10 additional brook trout 8 inches or less per day (10 in possession) over and above the 4-trout limit — a deliberate harvest-encouragement rule to thin stunted brookies + relieve competition with native cutthroat. Trappers Lake (Flat Tops Wilderness — Garfield County — the 1919 birthplace of the American wilderness-preservation movement under USFS landscape architect Arthur Carhart + a CPW native Colorado River cutthroat broodstock lake) carries NO bag or possession limit on brook trout at all — unlimited harvest to protect the native cutthroat population from brook trout competition + introgression. Brook trout reach trophy size only in a handful of deep, fertile, high-altitude lakes: CO state-record brook trout 8 lb 9 oz (8.56 lb — 26.25 in) Waterdog Lake Hinsdale County (Matt Smiley, November 2022) — which broke the 7 lb 10 oz Upper Cataract Lake Summit County record that had stood since 1947 (one of the oldest standing state fish records in the country until 2022). Brook trout fall under the same Gold Medal Waters 16 in min + 2 / day combined-trout TROPHY MANAGEMENT slot on listed reaches, though they rarely reach 16 in outside the trophy lakes. Open year-round on most waters.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; brook trout count toward the statewide 4-trout combined daily bag, PLUS a 10-fish bonus on brook trout 8 in or less; Trappers Lake unlimited harvest.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 4 / day combined trout (brook trout count toward the statewide 4-trout aggregate with rainbow + brown + cutthroat + lake + golden); PLUS 10 additional brook trout 8 in or less / day (bonus beyond the 4-trout limit — CPW harvest-encouragement on stunted high-country brookies); no bag limit on Trappers Lake
Possession: 8 in possession combined trout; PLUS 10 in possession brook trout 8 in or less

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum; the 10-fish bonus applies only to brook trout 8 in or less; Gold Medal Waters reaches carry 16 in min on the 2 / day combined-trout slot
Trophy rule: CO state-record brook trout 8 lb 9 oz (8.56 lb — 26.25 in) Waterdog Lake Hinsdale County (Matt Smiley, November 2022) — broke the 7 lb 10 oz Upper Cataract Lake record standing since 1947 (one of the oldest standing state fish records in the country until 2022); trophy brook trout come only from a handful of deep fertile high-altitude lakes (Waterdog + Upper Cataract); Trappers Lake carries NO bag or possession limit on brook trout to protect native Colorado River cutthroat from competition + introgression

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Gold Medal Waters + native-cutthroat conservation reaches
Live bait prohibited on Gold Medal Waters + listed Quality reaches
Federal NPS regulations apply within Rocky Mountain NP + Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP + Curecanti NRA (CPW Fishing License valid — NPS does NOT supersede CPW)
CPW Habitat Stamp + Fishing License required ages 18+ ($11.97 res / NR Habitat Stamp + $36.08 res annual / $97.97 NR annual)
CPW Second-Rod Stamp $5.31 required to fish with 2 rods simultaneously on most waters
Confirm current-year CPW Fishing Regulations for District-by-District bonus-brook-trout + Gold Medal reach list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Colorado waters:

Trappers Lake
NO bag or possession limit on brook trout — unlimited harvest to protect native Colorado River cutthroat broodstock from competition + introgression (Flat Tops Wilderness, Garfield County)
Waterdog Lake
CO state-record brook trout 8 lb 9 oz / 26.25 in (Matt Smiley, November 2022) — one of the few deep fertile high-altitude lakes producing trophy brookies; Hinsdale County
High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide)
4 / day combined trout PLUS 10 additional brook trout 8 in or less / day — CPW harvest-encouragement on stunted overpopulated brookies
Gold Medal Waters reaches
Trout 2 / day combined with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on listed reaches (brook trout count toward the combined-trout slot; rarely reach 16 in outside trophy lakes)
Rocky Mountain National Park
4 / day combined trout on harvest waters; native Greenback cutthroat 0 / day catch-and-release-only; Federal NPS overlay — CPW Fishing License valid (NPS does NOT supersede CPW)

Official source

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) publishes the authoritative 2026 Coloradofishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The brook trout rules on this page are sourced from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)'s official brook trout regulation page.

Visit official Colorado fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Brook trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Colorado trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is brook trout season in Colorado?: Colorado keeps brook trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Colorado bag limit for brook trout?: The Colorado daily bag limit for brook trout is 4 / day combined trout (brook trout count toward the statewide 4-trout aggregate with rainbow + brown + cutthroat + lake + golden); PLUS 10 additional brook trout 8 in or less / day (bonus beyond the 4-trout limit — CPW harvest-encouragement on stunted high-country brookies); no bag limit on Trappers Lake. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout; PLUS 10 in possession brook trout 8 in or less. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size brook trout can you keep in Colorado?: The Colorado size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum; the 10-fish bonus applies only to brook trout 8 in or less; Gold Medal Waters reaches carry 16 in min on the 2 / day combined-trout slot. Trophy rule: CO state-record brook trout 8 lb 9 oz (8.56 lb — 26.25 in) Waterdog Lake Hinsdale County (Matt Smiley, November 2022) — broke the 7 lb 10 oz Upper Cataract Lake record standing since 1947 (one of the oldest standing state fish records in the country until 2022); trophy brook trout come only from a handful of deep fertile high-altitude lakes (Waterdog + Upper Cataract); Trappers Lake carries NO bag or possession limit on brook trout to protect native Colorado River cutthroat from competition + introgression.
Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Colorado?: Yes. Colorado requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Colorado license — compare resident and non-resident Colorado fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Colorado?: Yes. In Colorado, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed Gold Medal Waters + native-cutthroat conservation reaches; Live bait prohibited on Gold Medal Waters + listed Quality reaches; Federal NPS regulations apply within Rocky Mountain NP + Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP + Curecanti NRA (CPW Fishing License valid — NPS does NOT supersede CPW); CPW Habitat Stamp + Fishing License required ages 18+ ($11.97 res / NR Habitat Stamp + $36.08 res annual / $97.97 NR annual); CPW Second-Rod Stamp $5.31 required to fish with 2 rods simultaneously on most waters; Confirm current-year CPW Fishing Regulations for District-by-District bonus-brook-trout + Gold Medal reach list.
Do specific Colorado waters have different brook trout rules?: Yes. 5 named Colorado waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including Trappers Lake, Waterdog Lake, High-country streams, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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