Where to Fish

Discover the breathtaking beauty of Colorado, where you can explore over 6,000 miles of pristine streams and more than 1,300 stunning lakes and reservoirs. With such abundant opportunities for fishing adventure and relaxation, there's no better place to enjoy the great outdoors all year round! Use the resources below to find your next fishing spot.

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Colorado Fishing Atlas screenshot

Interactive Mapping Tool

Fishing Atlas

The Colorado Fishing Atlas, the latest interactive mapping tool offered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, allows users to search for fishing opportunities by species, specific interest or proximity to your home or destination. Information includes accessible fishing access, stocked waters, boat ramps, special fishing regulations, stream gages (including links to real-time data) and more.

View the Fishing Atlas

Expert Insights

Fishery Surveys Summaries

Plan your next fishing adventure with info from the experts.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is the lead agency responsible for fisheries management of public waters in the State of Colorado. The data collected in our Fishery Surveys Summaries is used to track fish population trends, evaluate the effectiveness of management actions such as stocking and regulations, and establish realistic management goals for a given lake or stream. CPW is pleased to share the survey information from some of Colorado’s most popular angling waters.

Fishery Surveys Summaries

fishing at Nee Noshee Reservoir

Fishing Spotlight

Colorado Quality Waters

Choose from a list of more than 50 fishing waters to plan your next fishing adventure!

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.

View the list of quality waters Bodies of Water Finder

Investing in Conservation

Purchase a Fishing License

Annual fishing licenses are valid from March 1 through March 31 of the following year (13 months).

Thank you for your support! Your license purchase helps support a diversity of recreational fishing opportunities in Colorado’s rivers, streams and lakes, while also providing for the needs of native, non-game aquatic species.

Purchase a Fishing License Colorado Fishing Brochure