Whether you’re just “wetting a hook” with the kids or an avid angler your fishing adventure begins at some of the best quality fishing spots in Colorado.
With easy access, our streams, rivers, beaver ponds and lakes are all easily accessible and offer excellent fishing opportunities.
Choose from one of the fifteen area incredible fishing spots throughout the area. All are easily accessible and create a first class fishing opportunity and lifetime of memories. All you need is a Colorado fishing license, and appetite for adventure.
Pagosa’s Favorite Fishing Rivers and Lakes (Listed from Pagosa.com)
ECHO LAKE (Easy Access)
Fish: Trout, Perch, Catfish
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms. Perch are best taken with live bait; sunfish with worms and sometimes flies; and catfish, with cut bait (suckers or commercial stink baits).
Directions: Access is easy, four miles from Pagosa Springs on U.S. Highway 84.
WEST FORK OF THE SAN JUAN RIVER (Short hike)
Fish: Good rainbow trout fishing. Cutthroat trout fishing available from trail head at end of West Fork Road upstream.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: Easy access – take U.S. Highway 160 east out of Pagosa Springs approximately 17 miles to the West Fork Road; turn left. Drive on forest road for about three miles to the trailhead. Hike upstream from trailhead at end of the road for better fishing.
EAST FORK OF THE SAN JUAN RIVER
Fish: Excellent rainbow and brown trout fishing on lower reaches; brook and cutthroat trout at higher elevations.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: The East Fork is easily accessible, about 10 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs on U.S. Highway 160 to the East Fork Road; turn right.
FOURMILE LAKES (Serious Hike)
Fish: Cutthroat trout fishing in both lower and higher lakes.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: Take Fourmile Road north from downtown until the road ends. Hike six to seven miles on the trail visible from road’s end to lower lake. Second lake is another half-mile walk.
Info: .Fourmile Falls can be seen about three miles in–very scenic. The altitude increases rapidly after the falls, be prepared for a strenuous hike to a beautiful hike.
FOURMILE CREEK ( Moderate Hike)
Fish: Brook and Cutthroat Trout
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: See Fourmile Lakes Directions
Info: Access is the same as for Fourmile Lakes. The creek begins near the trailhead. Good brook and cutthroat trout fishing after high water has dropped (about mid-June).
TURKEY CREEK LAKE (Moderate 9 mile hike)
Fish: Good brook trout fishing.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: To get there, head east on U.S. Highway 160 approximately seven miles, turn left on Jackson Mountain Road and drive five miles to parking lot. Turkey Creek Lake is located nine miles from this point and can be accessed by following a trail from the parking lot.
TURKEY CREEK (Moderate hike)
Fish: Good Brook, Cutthroat and Rainbow trout fishing.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: Access is same as Turkey Creek Lake. Turkey Creek is about three miles in on the trail to Turkey Creek Lake. Good brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout fishing.
SAN JUAN RIVER (Easy access)
Fish: Excellent fishing for rainbow and brown trout.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Info: This is for the fisherman who doesn’t want to travel far. The San Juan River runs right through downtown Pagosa Springs.
PIEDRA RIVER (Moderate drive)
Fish: Good trout stream (browns, rainbows, cutthroats and some brook trout).
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Info on bait and catch: The stretch of the Piedra River from lower Piedra Campground upstream to Sand Creek can only be fished with artificial flies and lures with a two trout, 16 inches or larger, bag limit.
Directions: The easiest access to the Piedra River is U.S. Highway 160, west of Pagosa Springs about 22 miles where the river crosses under the highway. Turn right just before the bridge.
WILLIAMS CREEK RESERVOIR (Moderate drive)
Fish: Excellent fishing for rainbow and brook trout, also kokanee salmon.
Bait for Trout: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Bait for Salmon: Salmon are best taken with artificial lures and worms.
Directions: In the vicinity of Williams Creek Reservoir are four U.S. Forest Service campgrounds. Mountain views are tremendous. To get there, follow Piedra Road north about 24 miles.
BUCKLES AND HARRIS LAKES (Moderate hike)
Fish: Good rainbow trout fishing.
Bait: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: To reach the lakes, take U.S. Highway 84 south about 20 miles to Buckles Lake Road; turn left. Follow this road, which leads to a parking area and trailhead, then hike in a half mile to Buckles Lake, another mile to Harris Lake.
NAVAJO RESERVOIR (Hour Plus Drive)
Fish: Large catfish, trout, bass, northern pike, crappie and perch can be caught here.
Important Information: About one-third of Navajo Reservoir is located in Colorado, the remaining two thirds, in New Mexico. Once over the Colorado line, fishermen are required to purchase a New Mexico fishing license.
Bait: Live minnows may be used as fish bait in both the Colorado and New Mexico portions of Navajo lake.
Bait for Trout: Trout are best caught with lures, flies or natural bait such as worms; bass, with top surface lures, crank baits; jigs with pork frogs or rubber worms
Directions: The lake can be accessed from Pagosa Springs by heading west on U.S. Highway 160 about 17 miles, then turn south on Colorado State Highway 151 and go about 35 miles.
SAN JUAN RIVER BELOW NAVAJO DAM
Important Information: These are quality fishing waters and are highly regulated.
The first mile is catch and release only. On the next three miles, you can keep one trout over 20 inches, but you can no longer fish the quality waters for that day.
Bait: In the Cottonwood Campground, you may use bait. Artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks are required on the quality stretch. Check printed regulations and posted signs, which remind fishermen what kinds of tackle they may use, or check with fishing shops either here in Pagosa or near the river.
Note: New Mexico fishing license required
LAKE CAPOTE
Fish: Rainbow and Cutthroat trout
Info: Scheduled to be open this season after being closed for several years for new dam construction, this lake is stocked with rainbow and cutthroat trout by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and requires special fishing licenses available at the lake. Drive west of Pagosa Springs 17 miles, the lake just south of the Hwy 160 – 151 junction.
