2026 regulation year
Navajo Reservoir 2026 — Colorado Fishing Regulations
Colorado statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Navajo Reservoir carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of Colorado's 2026 fishing rules — covering Northern pike. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
CO/NM joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir; both CPW + NMDGF licences honored on the main stem; trout 4 / day combined; smallmouth + largemouth bass 5 / day combined + 15 in min; northern pike unlimited — no bag, possession, or size limit (CPW encouraged-removal) — the San Juan River Quality Waters tailwater below Navajo Dam in NM is wholly in NM (not in the joint compact)
Source: Colorado special-water list
Per-species rules on Navajo Reservoir
No bag, possession, or size limit (CPW encouraged-removal); CO/NM joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir — both CPW + NMDGF licences honored on the main stem
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 Navajo Reservoir?
- Navajo Reservoir carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override Colorado's statewide 2026 rules, covering Northern pike. One of them reads: "CO/NM joint reciprocal compact on the boundary reservoir; both CPW + NMDGF licences honored on the main stem; trout 4 / day combined; smallmouth + largemouth bass 5 / day combined + 15 in min; northern pike unlimited — no bag, possession, or size limit (CPW encouraged-removal) — the San Juan River Quality Waters tailwater below Navajo Dam in NM is wholly in NM (not in the joint compact)." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Navajo Reservoir?
- Yes. Navajo Reservoir 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 Navajo Reservoir; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Colorado rules.
- Do Navajo Reservoir's special rules replace Colorado's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Colorado's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Navajo Reservoir 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 Navajo Reservoir?
- Northern pike has a water-body-specific rule on Navajo Reservoir, each linking to its full Colorado regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Colorado limits.