2026 regulation year
High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide) 2026 — Colorado Fishing Regulations
Colorado statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide) carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Colorado's 2026 fishing rules — covering Brook trout. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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Per-species rules on 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
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
- Animas River through Durango
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide)?
- High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide) carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Colorado's statewide 2026 rules, covering Brook trout. It reads: "4 / day combined trout PLUS 10 additional brook trout 8 in or less / day — CPW harvest-encouragement on stunted overpopulated brookies." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide)?
- Yes. High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide) 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 High-country streams; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Colorado rules.
- Do High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide)'s special rules replace Colorado's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Colorado's statewide 2026 regulations apply on High-country streams by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule 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 High-country streams?
- Brook trout has a water-body-specific rule on High-country streams + alpine lakes (statewide), each linking to its full Colorado regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Colorado limits.