2026 regulation year
South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon 2026 — Colorado Fishing Regulations
Colorado statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon carries 3 special-regulation overlays on top of Colorado's 2026 fishing rules — covering Rainbow trout, Brown trout. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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Watch South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon (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 with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on Cheesman Canyon catch-and-release-only reach + artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required; one of country's most-fished blue-ribbon trout reaches
Source: Colorado special-water list
Per-species rules on South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon
Trout 2 / day with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT + artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required; Cheesman Canyon catch-and-release-only reach
Trout 2 / day with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT + artificial-fly-and-lure only; brown trout 1 / day with 16 in min; Cheesman Canyon catch-and-release-only reach
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 South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon?
- South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon carries 3 special-regulation overlays that override Colorado's statewide 2026 rules, covering Rainbow trout and Brown trout. One of them reads: "Gold Medal Waters — trout 2 / day with 16 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT on Cheesman Canyon catch-and-release-only reach + artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required; one of country's most-fished blue-ribbon trout reaches." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon?
- Yes. South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon 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 S Platte Gold Medal; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Colorado rules.
- Do South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon's special rules replace Colorado's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Colorado's statewide 2026 regulations apply on S Platte Gold Medal 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 S Platte Gold Medal?
- Rainbow trout and Brown trout have a water-body-specific rule on South Platte River Cheesman Canyon + Deckers + Eleven Mile Canyon, each linking to its full Colorado regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Colorado limits.