Arkansas River Fishing Regulations
Chaffee , Lake , Fremont , Pueblo counties, Colorado · 2026 size limits, bag limits, and seasons
Arkansas River is a river in Chaffee , Lake , Fremont , Pueblo counties, Colorado. It has its own fishing regulations for 9 species, including Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, and Golden Trout, set separately for 5 sections of the river. These rules replace Colorado's statewide limits on this water.
Map of Arkansas River
Fish with special rules on Arkansas River
Tap a fish for identification tips, size records, and the best bait.
Arkansas River limits by species (2026)
Entire river
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
 WalleyeWithin Pueblo Reservoir SWA · Bag/min size for walleye+saugeye 5 in aggregate, 18 inches · Only 1 walleye/saugeye over 21 inches per day | 18" min | 1 | Year-round |
Bridge at Valco Ponds to Pueblo Blvd.
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Fish SpeciesExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Artificial Only | – | – | Always open |
 Brook TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 Brown TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 Cutthroat TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 Golden TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 Lake TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 Rainbow TroutExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
 SteelheadExcept at Pueblo Nature Center, as posted · Must release if over 16″ | – | – | Always open |
Leadville to Parkdale (Gold Medal)
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brook TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| Brown TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| Cutthroat TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| Golden TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| Lake TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| Rainbow TroutConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
| SteelheadConfluence with Lake Fork of the Arkansas (near Leadville) downstream to Parkdale at U.S. 50 bridge crossing above Royal Gorge · Gold Medal Water designation | – | 2 | Year-round |
Within the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
 SaugerAggregate with: Walleye | 18" min | 5 | Always open |
| Aggregate with: Walleye · Daily limit over 21 inches: 1 | – | – | Always open |
| WalleyeAggregate with: Walleye · Daily limit over 21 inches: 1 · Aggregate with: Saugeye | – | – | Always open |
| Aggregate with: Saugeye · Aggregate with: Walleye | 18" min | 5 | Always open |
1 more section of Arkansas River
Above Parkdale
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Fish SpeciesNo Bait | – | – | Year-round |
– means no limit is listed for this water. Rules not shown here follow Colorado's statewide regulations.
Plan your Arkansas River trip
Arkansas River fishing: common questions
What fish have special regulations on Arkansas River?
9 species have rules specific to Arkansas River: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Golden Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead, and Walleye, and 1 more.
What is the brook trout limit on Arkansas River?
No size limit is listed for Brook Trout on Arkansas River (bridge at Valco Ponds to Pueblo Blvd.). Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.
What is the brown trout limit on Arkansas River?
No size limit is listed for Brown Trout on Arkansas River (bridge at Valco Ponds to Pueblo Blvd.). Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.
What is the cutthroat trout limit on Arkansas River?
No size limit is listed for Cutthroat Trout on Arkansas River (bridge at Valco Ponds to Pueblo Blvd.). Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.
Do Colorado statewide fishing rules apply on Arkansas River?
Where Arkansas River has its own rule for a species, that rule replaces the statewide limit. For species not listed on this page, Colorado's statewide regulations apply. Regulations are set by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife; confirm with the official 2026 regulations before keeping a fish.
Other Colorado waters with special regulations
- South Platte River
- Yampa River
- Colorado River
- White River
- Poudre River · Larimer
- Gunnison River
- Blue River · Grand, Summit
- Roaring Fork River
- Animas River · La Plata
- Eagle River · Eagle
- Taylor River
- East River · Gunnison
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