San Juan River Fishing Regulations
Colorado · 2026 size limits, bag limits, and seasons
San Juan River is a river, Colorado. It has its own fishing regulations for 17 species, including Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brook Trout, and Brown Trout, set separately for 2 sections of the river. These rules replace Colorado's statewide limits on this water.
Map of San Juan River
Fish with special rules on San Juan River
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San Juan River limits by species (2026)
U.S. 160 bridge in Pagosa Springs to Navajo Reservoir
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
 Black CrappieNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 BluegillNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 Channel CatfishNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
| CrappieNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 Largemouth BassNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 Northern PikeNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 Smallmouth BassNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 WalleyeNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 White CrappieNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
 Yellow PerchNo bag limit | – | – | Year-round |
Intersection of U.S. 160 and U.S. 84 to intersection of Apache Street
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
 Brook Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Brown Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Cutthroat Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Golden Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Lake Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Rainbow Trout | – | 2 | Year-round |
 Steelhead | – | 2 | Year-round |
– means no limit is listed for this water. Rules not shown here follow Colorado's statewide regulations.
Plan your San Juan River trip
San Juan River fishing: common questions
What fish have special regulations on San Juan River?
17 species have rules specific to San Juan River: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Cutthroat Trout, and Golden Trout, and 9 more.
What is the black crappie limit on San Juan River?
No size limit is listed for Black Crappie on San Juan River (u.S. 160 bridge in Pagosa Springs to Navajo Reservoir).
What is the bluegill limit on San Juan River?
No size limit is listed for Bluegill on San Juan River (u.S. 160 bridge in Pagosa Springs to Navajo Reservoir).
What is the brook trout limit on San Juan River?
No size limit is listed for Brook Trout on San Juan River (intersection of U.S. 160 and U.S. 84 to intersection of Apache Street), and the daily bag limit is 2.
Do Colorado statewide fishing rules apply on San Juan River?
Where San Juan 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
- Arkansas River · Chaffee , Lake , Fremont , Pueblo
- Animas River · La Plata
- Eagle River · Eagle
- Taylor River
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