Fishing in the Colorado Springs
& Pikes Peak Area.

You walk down a mountain trail, fishing equipment in hand. Just ahead is a sparkling reservoir with a backdrop of majestic mountains. You rig your line and cast into the clear, cold water. As you take in the panoramic view, a fish strikes. You play it, allowing it to tire and then reel it in. You’ve caught a beautiful rainbow trout.

This is fishing at its best in the Pikes Peak area of Colorado. Choose whether to spend an hour or two, a day or even a week exploring and fishing on the waters in the Pikes Peak region. For a casual fishing experience, stop at a lake in a city park or stop by a stocked pond where you pay to fish. More serious anglers will want to get out into remote areas to try their luck in lakes, reservoirs and mountain streams.

Pikes Peak Reservoirs – North Slope

There is a great fishery at Crystal Creek, located on the north slope of Pikes Peak. Catch brook trout, cutthroat and rainbows. Occasionally lake trout are caught here. Catch rates in the area are high.

South Catamount offers Pikes Peak cutthroat, brook, lake and rainbow trout. North Catamount offers the potential for anglers to catch lake trout that weigh in excess of ten pounds. The North Catamount reservoir is only accessible by foot, but catch rates for small trout are incredible.

Boating access is limited to crafts that are electrically propelled and those that are hand or wind propelled. Boats powered by gasoline motors are prohibited and strictly enforced.

The reservoirs in the Pikes Peak region are for day use only. Night fishing is prohibited and this rule is also strictly enforced.

To gain access to the Pikes Peak reservoirs, drive to Cascade and travel south on the Pikes Peak Toll Road. The entrance to the reservoirs is just off the Toll Road.

Elevenmile Reservoir

A State Parks pass is required in order to fish at Elevenmile Reservoir, but angling opportunities are excellent. Some of the largest Kokanee salmon in Colorado have been caught here. Large brown trout, cutthroat and rainbows are caught only a few feet from the area’s campsites. Elevenmile Reservoir is the place to troll for trophy fish of the above mentioned species.

To gain access to Elevenmile Reservoir, drive to Lake George and then south to the Park’s entrance

Arkansas River

This challenging and scenic stretch of water is a classic western stream and offers excellent angling opportunities. The Arkansas offers brown and rainbow trout up to 20 inches in length and the River runs for 80 miles. One of the best areas to fish along the Arkansas is Brown’s Canyon.

South Platte River

If you wish to do a bit of angling in a five star fishing spot, try South Platte River in South Park. It’s located west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24. Here you will find large brown trout, cutthroat and rainbows. One of the best spots in the area is Elevenmile Canyon.

Cripple Creek

If you’ll be visiting the Cripple Creek area, don’t overlook Skaguay Reservoir, just east of Victor. The Reservoir is stocked with trout and occasionally northern pike are caught here. Along the scenic route, the Rosemount Reservoir is located off Gold Camp Road. Rosemount also offers great fishing opportunities for anglers.

If you are in the Pikes Peak region and are at a loss of where to wet your line, stop by one of the many fishing tackle shops along the way. The staff in these shops will be more than happy to give you a few fishing tips, locations and conditions. If you wish to hire a guide for fly fishing, both the Peak Fly Shop and The Angler’s Covey offer guide services.

To find where waters will be stocked within the next week, pick up a copy of the Gazette on Thursday and check out the Sport section. A complete list of waters to be stocked in the coming week is listed there.

For a great angling experience, be sure to check out the waters in the Pikes Peak area. It’s possible that you will land the trophy fish of your dreams.

FIshing in Colorado Springs