Christmas and New Years Office Closure
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offices will be closed on December 24, December 25, December 26 and January 1.
CPW Quality Waters
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited to announce a new category of fishable waters that our talented team of fish management biologists has identified and nominated based on their fish sampling records, creel surveys, and professional biological assessments. The list is called Colorado Quality Waters.
CPW Quality Waters
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is excited to announce a new category of fishable waters that our talented team of fish management biologists has identified and nominated based on their fish sampling records, creel surveys, and professional biological assessments. The list is called Colorado Quality Waters.
Your Fishin' is Our Mission!
Something for Everyone
CPW's List of Quality Waters includes lakes and streams that contain productive, quality fisheries with public access and are fishable by most angling methods. The waters may have been nominated for one species or a whole suite of species. The list below is organized by region, and we encourage anglers to plan a trip to hook into their next big fish!
Video: Fishing Colorado: Gold Medal & Quality Waters Programs
Fishing Colorado: Gold Medal & Quality Waters Programs
Colorado is famous for its wide variety of world-class fisheries. To help anglers make the most of these abundant waters, Colorado Parks and Wildlife organizes the state's top fishing destinations into two categories: Gold Medal and Quality Waters. This video provides an overview of both programs, which include both warm and cold-water fisheries.
Waters by Region
These lakes and streams contain productive, quality fisheries with public access and are fishable by most angling methods. The waters may have been nominated for one species or a whole suite of species.
- Big Creek Lake Lower
- Boyd Lake
- Douglas Reservoir
- Jackson Lake
- Lake John
- North Fork Cache la Poudre River
- South Platte River
- St. Vrain State Park - Bald Eagle Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Blue Heron Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Coot Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Mallard Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Pelican Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Pintail Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Red Tail Pond
- St. Vrain State Park - Sandpiper Pond
These lakes and streams contain productive, quality fisheries with public access and are fishable by most angling methods. The waters may have been nominated for one species or a whole suite of species.
- Blue River
- Colorado River
- Eagle River
- Elk River
- Elkhead Reservoir
- Kelly Lake
- Lake Granby
- Rifle Gap Reservoir
- Roaring Fork River
- Stagecoach Reservoir
- Yampa River
These lakes and streams contain productive, quality fisheries with public access and are fishable by most angling methods. The waters may have been nominated for one species or a whole suite of species.
- Adobe Creek Reservoir
- Beaver Creek
- Boss Lake Reservoir
- Cottonwood Creek
- Frantz Lake
- Grape Creek
- John Martin Reservoir
- Martin Lake
- Monument Reservoir
- North Lake
- South Arkansas River
These lakes and streams contain productive, quality fisheries with public access and are fishable by most angling methods. The waters may have been nominated for one species or a whole suite of species.
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Conejos River
- Dolores River
- Echo Canyon Reservoir
- Lake Fork Gunnison River
- Miramonte Reservoir
- Rio Grande River
- Rio Grande River
- Taylor Park Reservoir
- Taylor River
- Treasure Creek
- Uncompahgre River
- Uncompahgre River
- Vallecito Reservoir
Video: Colorado Fish Hatcheries, Stocking and Quality Waters
Video Spotlight
Colorado Fish Hatcheries, Stocking and Quality Waters
In this video, CPW Hatchery Technician Graham Bachmann tells how his passion for fishing led to a rewarding career in fishery management. Bachmann also explains how Colorado's fish hatcheries and stocking are important to conservation, recreational fishing and CPW's new Quality Waters program.