2026 regulation year
Animas River through Durango 2026 — Colorado Fishing Regulations
Colorado statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Animas River through Durango carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of Colorado's 2026 fishing rules — covering Rainbow trout. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
Get change alerts
Watch Animas River through Durango (CO) and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
State-level special regulation
Gold Medal Waters — trout 2 / day combined with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on listed reaches + artificial-fly-and-lure only; CPW Native Aquatic Species Reintroduction Program for Colorado River cutthroat on upper Animas drainage
Source: Colorado special-water list
Per-species rules on Animas River through Durango
Trout 2 / day combined with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on listed reaches + artificial-fly-and-lure only
Official source
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) publishes the authoritative 2026 Colorado fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Colorado fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Colorado Parks and Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Colorado trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Colorado
- Antero Reservoir (Park County)
- Arkansas River Leadville to Cañon City
- Bear Creek headwaters
- Big Thompson River + Eagle River + Blue River + Colorado River
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Chatfield Reservoir
- Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Conejos River + Animas River + Yampa River + Big Thompson River + Eagle River + Blue River + Colorado River + Gunnison River Gold Medal reaches
- Crawford Reservoir (Delta County)
- Crosho Reservoir (Rio Blanco County)
- Curecanti National Recreation Area
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Animas River through Durango?
- Animas River through Durango carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override Colorado's statewide 2026 rules, covering Rainbow trout. One of them reads: "Gold Medal Waters — trout 2 / day combined with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on listed reaches + artificial-fly-and-lure only; CPW Native Aquatic Species Reintroduction Program for Colorado River cutthroat on upper Animas drainage." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Animas River through Durango?
- Yes. Animas River through Durango is in Colorado, so a valid Colorado fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Animas River through Durango; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Colorado rules.
- Do Animas River through Durango's special rules replace Colorado's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Colorado's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Animas River through Durango by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Animas River through Durango?
- Rainbow trout has a water-body-specific rule on Animas River through Durango, each linking to its full Colorado regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Colorado limits.