A Colorado annual license runs 13 months, to March 31, so this season's covers the whole winter. Through the ice, one line unless you carry the second-rod stamp, holes no wider than 10 inches, and portable shelters off the ice each day where only portables are allowed. Anyone 18 to 64 also needs the Habitat Stamp once a year.
What to fish for in early November
Colorado's winter is ice above eight thousand feet and open water below the dams. The high reservoirs lock up from December, the South Park lakes the first and coldest of them, and the tailwaters stay open and fish on midges through the coldest weeks; down on the Front Range the reservoirs freeze later and thinner, when they freeze at all.
These notes cover the whole winter, the ice included. In early November, the six lakes in the season tables that get near freezing are usually still open water, at 44 to 50F.
Brown Trout
Rests after its autumn spawn, then feeds again on midges and small nymphs in the slow water.
Where. The Fryingpan below Ruedi, the Blue at Silverthorne, the Taylor below Taylor Park and the South Platte at Deckers, and the Arkansas below Pueblo Dam.
The brown trout waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Blue River below Dillon Dam about 44F Best Tue, Nov 10, C+Today's forecast Arkansas River at Canon City about 42F Best Mon, Nov 9, B+Today's forecast Rainbow Trout
Cruises the shallows under early ice and makes up much of the catch through it.
Where. Eleven Mile and Antero in South Park, and Stagecoach and the other high reservoirs.
The rainbow trout waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Taylor River at Almont not modeled Best Wed, Nov 11, AToday's forecast Arkansas River below Pueblo Dam about 56F Best Wed, Nov 11, A+Today's forecast Lake Trout
Patrols deep basins and is jigged through the ice with big tubes and spoons.
Where. Blue Mesa, Granby and the other big mountain lakes.
The lake trout waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Blue Mesa Reservoir about 48F Best Sat, Nov 14, B+Today's forecast Lake Granby about 45F Best Thu, Nov 12, A+Today's forecast Northern Pike
Lies along weed edges and in shallow bays, taken under tip-ups with dead bait.
Where. Eleven Mile and Stagecoach.
The northern pike waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Eleven Mile Reservoir about 46F Best Tue, Nov 10, A+Today's forecast Stagecoach Reservoir about 44F Best Thu, Nov 12, A+Today's forecast Vallecito Reservoir about 46F Best Sat, Nov 14, B+Today's forecast Kokanee
Schools in open water under the ice and takes small jigs tipped with bait, moving up and down the column with the light.
Where. Blue Mesa and Lake Granby, and Williams Fork once its ice holds.
Usual water now is that water's normal for this point in the season: a lake's modeled seasonal curve or a river gauge's long-run average, not this year's reading. The forecast link reads this week's.
What changes soon
Nothing on this report's calendar for Colorado in the next six weeks.
This week's fishing reports
This report covers the season. For what was caught this week, read the people who report on this water.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes no current fishing report. Through the winter the reporting is the tailwater fly shops' river pages on the Orvis site, each dated and updated every few weeks, Duranglers' reports on the Animas, and two ice reports from Sport Fish Colorado, a guide service, on South Park and Blue Mesa. No regular reporter for the other ice waters could be found.
Where to fish in Colorado, area by area
Each water links to its live forecast. The engine outlook in these areas was generated November 3, 2026, for the 14 days from that date; good hours are the hours at or above a B+.
The tailwaters
Fryingpan River · Blue River · Colorado River · South Platte River (Deckers) · Taylor River
The rivers below the mountain dams, the Fryingpan below Ruedi, the Blue below Dillon at Silverthorne, the South Platte below Cheesman and the Taylor below Taylor Park, where water drawn from deep in a reservoir keeps the river open and the trout feeding on tiny insects through the winter.
Who reports here. Orvis's river pages are kept by local shops and dated, and last winter they were updated every few weeks: Taylor Creek in Basalt updated its page as late as February 16, and Breckenridge Outfitters keeps two more. The outlook leaves the river at Deckers out: its nearest thermometer is eleven miles down, below the North Fork, on other water.
Engine outlook
- Best: Tue, Nov 10, C+7 good hours44F measured Nov 3 at BLUE RIVER BELOW DILLON, CO.best run 5h54 cfsat BLUE RIVER BELOW DILLON, CO.on this water
- Best: Wed, Nov 11, A8 good hours43F measured Nov 3 at EAST RIVER AT ALMONT, CObest run 4h143 cfsat TAYLOR RIVER AT ALMONT, CO.on this water
The South Park reservoirs
Eleven Mile Reservoir · Spinney Mountain Reservoir · Antero Reservoir
The high reservoirs on the South Platte in the open basin of South Park, close to nine thousand feet, Antero, Spinney Mountain and Eleven Mile, where big trout and northern pike grow fast and the winters are long, windy and bitterly cold.
Who reports here. Sport Fish Colorado, a guide service, posted two ice reports last winter, on December 17 and January 17, with Antero, Eleven Mile and Tarryall among the lakes, and points readers to its social media for the rest. The last regional conditions roundup from Parks and Wildlife that turned up dates from 2022, and the agency sends anglers to park staff for ice thickness.
Engine outlook
- Best: Tue, Nov 10, A+11 good hours49F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 11h
The Arkansas River
Arkansas River · Arkansas River below Pueblo Dam · Pueblo Reservoir
The Arkansas from its headwaters near Leadville down past Buena Vista and Salida and through Bighorn Sheep Canyon and the Royal Gorge to Canon City, a long freestone brown trout river, and below Pueblo Reservoir the tailwater through the city of Pueblo.
Who reports here. Orvis keeps a page on the river, by ArkAnglers, and one on the tailwater below Pueblo, by Royal Gorge Anglers, updated as recently as October 8 and 14; whether they were kept through last winter could not be checked, so look at their dates.
Engine outlook
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, B+9 good hours48F measured Nov 3 at ARKANSAS RIVER AT CANON CITY, CO.best run 5h
- Best: Wed, Nov 11, A+9 good hours59F measured Nov 3 at ARKANSAS RIVER ABOVE PUEBLO, CObest run 4h399 cfsat ARKANSAS RIVER AT MOFFAT STREET AT PUEBLO, CO6 mi away
The Gunnison and Blue Mesa
Gunnison River · Blue Mesa Reservoir · Gunnison Gorge
The Gunnison River from the town of Gunnison into Blue Mesa Reservoir, with its lake trout and kokanee, then through the Black Canyon and the Gunnison Gorge below the dams.
Who reports here. Sport Fish Colorado's two ice reports last winter, on December 17 and January 17, took in the big reservoir along with the South Park lakes and Taylor Park.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sat, Nov 14, B+10 good hours51F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 10h
The Roaring Fork Valley
Roaring Fork River · Crystal River
The Roaring Fork from above Aspen down through Basalt, where the Fryingpan joins it, and Carbondale, where the Crystal comes in, to the Colorado at Glenwood Springs, a big freestone trout river fished by boat and on foot.
Who reports here. Orvis keeps a page on the river, updated as recently as October 19. Its page for the tailwater that joins it, kept by a local shop, was updated last winter as late as February 16.
Steamboat and the Yampa
Yampa River · Stagecoach Reservoir · Steamboat Lake · Lake Catamount
The Yampa below Stagecoach Dam and on through Steamboat Springs, with the reservoirs of the upper valley around it, Stagecoach, Lake Catamount and Steamboat Lake to the north, trout and northern pike water fished through the ice.
Who reports here. Steamboat Flyfisher keeps the Orvis page on the river, updated as recently as October 14. Colorado Public Radio reported on January 2 that the ice tournament at Stagecoach, set for January 3, had been moved to January 17 to wait for ice.
Engine outlook
- Best: Thu, Nov 12, A+12 good hours48F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 12h
Grand Lake and Lake Granby
Lake Granby · Grand Lake · Shadow Mountain Reservoir · Williams Fork Reservoir
The lakes at the head of the Colorado River on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain and the big reservoir of Lake Granby, with Williams Fork farther down, lake trout, kokanee and rainbows under the ice.
Who reports here. Sky-Hi News prints a Grand County fishing report through the open-water season, the newest found on September 18; no winter edition turned up. Sport Fish Colorado's ice report of December 17 found Williams Fork still open.
Engine outlook
- Best: Thu, Nov 12, A+12 good hours48F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 12h
The Front Range reservoirs
Chatfield Reservoir · Cherry Creek Reservoir · Horsetooth Reservoir · Boyd Lake
The reservoirs along the foot of the mountains from Denver north to Fort Collins, Chatfield and Cherry Creek in the Denver suburbs, Horsetooth above Fort Collins and Boyd Lake at Loveland, for walleye, trout, bass and wipers close to the cities.
Who reports here. Parks and Wildlife's statewide fishing report used to carry these reservoirs' ice and water temperature, and the last one that turned up dates from 2022. No other dated winter report could be found.
Engine outlook
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, A+10 good hours52F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 7h
Durango and the southwest
Animas River · Vallecito Reservoir · McPhee Reservoir · Navajo Reservoir
The Animas through Durango, a trout river in town, the reservoirs around it, Vallecito in the mountains to the northeast, McPhee near Dolores, and the Colorado end of Navajo Reservoir on the New Mexico line.
Who reports here. Duranglers posted reports on the river in town to SportfishingReport on January 9 and February 18 last winter, with its San Juan report across the line in New Mexico. No ice report for the reservoirs could be found.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sat, Nov 14, B+5 good hours51F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 3h
The rules from November to February
What changed this time
- Chapter W-1, the fishing regulations, as adopted on November 13, 2025, took effect on April 1, 2026.
Read on October 20, 2026, from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (its licenses and dates page, Chapter W-1 of its regulations, its 2026 fishing brochure and its ice fishing page).
Licenses, and which state's rules apply
- An annual license runs 13 months, from March 1 to March 31 of the next year, so this season's covers the whole winter. Residents pay $44.87 ($12.96 at 64 and older or at 16 and 17); nonresidents $124.01 a year or $41.04 for five days; a single day is $18.07 for residents. Anyone 18 to 64 also needs a Habitat Stamp ($12.76) once a year, though not with a first or second one-day license. Youth 15 and under fish free.
Bait, gear and fish you cannot keep
- One attended line with up to three hooks, unless the angler buys a second-rod stamp ($14.24 a year), which allows a second rod, hand line or tip-up; youth under 16 need the stamp for a second line too. A fish let go must go back alive into the water it came from.
Lakes, ponds and rivers
- Statewide daily limits: four trout, salmon, char, grayling and whitefish combined (eight in possession), plus ten brook trout of 8 inches or less; ten kokanee; five walleye, saugeye and sauger; five black bass (no limit on smallmouth west of the Continental Divide); 20 crappie; 20 yellow perch east of the Divide, no limit west of it; one tiger muskie of at least 36 inches. Northern pike have no limit. Many waters set their own.
Through the ice
- Through the ice: holes no wider than 10 inches across or on any side, fires only in a container, and nothing left behind. Where only portable shelters are allowed, they come off the ice at the end of each day; where permanent shelters are allowed, they show the owner's name and customer ID number on the shore side in letters at least 2 inches high.
- CPW's rules of thumb for good ice: stay off two inches or less; four inches for one person on foot, six for a snowmobile or ATV, eight to twelve for a car or small pickup. Clear blue ice is strongest, white or gray much weaker; test at least every 30 feet, and treat snow-covered ice with suspicion.
Read on these agency pages: CPW: Fishing Licenses, Dates and Fees, CPW Regulations Chapter W-1: Fishing (PDF), CPW: 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (PDF), CPW: Ice Fishing.
The season at a glance
What these months usually do
Each lake's own seasonal curve, the one the engine scores the lake on: what these dates usually do, modeled rather than measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mesa Reservoir | 49F | 39F | 34F | 34F | 34F |
| Chatfield Reservoir | 51F | 41F | 36F | 36F | 38F |
| Eleven Mile Reservoir | 47F | 40F | 36F | 35F | 35F |
| Lake Granby | 46F | 39F | 35F | 35F | 35F |
| Stagecoach Reservoir | 45F | 38F | 35F | 35F | 34F |
| Vallecito Reservoir | 47F | 40F | 35F | 34F | 34F |
Each river's own gauge: its average for these dates across the years it has recorded, measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River at Canon CityARKANSAS RIVER AT CANON CITY, CO., 1994 to 2026 | 43F | 35F | 33F | 34F | 39F |
| Arkansas River below Pueblo DamARKANSAS RIVER ABOVE PUEBLO, CO, 2008 to 2026 | 57F | 47F | 40F | 38F | 39F |
| Blue River below Dillon DamBLUE RIVER BELOW DILLON, CO., 2022 to 2026 | 44F | 41F | 38F | 37F | 37F |
The moon from November to February
| Month | New moon | Full moon |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Mon, Nov 9 | Tue, Nov 24 |
| December 2026 | Tue, Dec 8 | Wed, Dec 23 |
| January 2027 | Thu, Jan 7 | Fri, Jan 22 |
| February 2027 | Sat, Feb 6 | Sat, Feb 20 |
The U.S. Naval Observatory's dates, on local time.
Daylight in each area from November to February
Worked out for one place in each area, on its own clock.
| Area | Shortest day | Earliest sunset | Latest sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| The tailwatersat Blue River below Dillon Dam | 9h 22m, Dec 21 | 4:41pm, around Dec 8 | 7:26am, around Jan 4 |
| The South Park reservoirsat Eleven Mile Reservoir | 9h 26m, Dec 21 | 4:41pm, around Dec 7 | 7:22am, around Jan 5 |
| The Arkansas Riverat Arkansas River at Canon City | 9h 29m, Dec 21 | 4:42pm, around Dec 7 | 7:20am, around Jan 5 |
| The Gunnison and Blue Mesaat Blue Mesa Reservoir | 9h 29m, Dec 21 | 4:50pm, around Dec 7 | 7:28am, around Jan 5 |
| The Roaring Fork Valleyat Basalt | 9h 23m, Dec 21 | 4:46pm, around Dec 7 | 7:30am, around Jan 5 |
| Steamboat and the Yampaat Stagecoach Reservoir | 9h 18m, Dec 21 | 4:43pm, around Dec 8 | 7:32am, around Jan 4 |
| Grand Lake and Lake Granbyat Lake Granby | 9h 19m, Dec 21 | 4:39pm, around Dec 8 | 7:27am, around Jan 4 |
| The Front Range reservoirsat Chatfield Reservoir | 9h 22m, Dec 21 | 4:38pm, around Dec 7 | 7:22am, around Jan 4 |
| Durango and the southwestat Vallecito Reservoir | 9h 35m, Dec 21 | 4:54pm, around Dec 7 | 7:26am, around Jan 5 |