Fishing in Summit County Colorado

One of the great, relaxing past times is fishing and there’s no better place to fish than in Keystone and Summit County. The high mountain rivers and lakes are filled with many different kinds of trout, salmon, and other tasty critters. You are required to have a fishing license to fish in Colorado and fishing is allowed all day, everyday unless otherwise stated. Non-resident licenses run $56 for an annual and $21 for 5-day passes or $9 for a single day pass. Residents of Colorado can enjoy fishing for about half the price, except for one-day passes. However, the first full weekend of June is free to fish for all! Some of the fishing areas have restrictions such as type of bait or catch-and-release. Here are some of the hot spots around Keystone and Summit County. There also numerous publications and guides to fishing in Summit County. You can purchase the Angling Guide for Summit County Area by Michael Shook or find the Topo map for the area. The areas and rivers tend to be long, so there are plenty of spots to go fishing on the same river.

Here’s a list of some of the most common species of fish found in Summit County:
Cutthroat (Native) Trout: Cutthroat have a crimson slash on either side of the throat beneath the lower jaws. The greenback cutthroat trout is Colorado’s official state fish.
Brown Trout: Spotting pattern is made up of black spots and red-orange spots inside light blue circles.
Rainbow Trout: Identifying marks are black spots on a light body and red stripe along sides.
Brook Trout: Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins often orange, edged with black and white. Body is dark with white and red spots inside blue circles.
Kookanee Salmon: At the end of their third summer, females develop a red-gray-white pattern. Males develop hook jaw and turn brick red.
Lake Trout (Mackinaw): Has a white, irregular spot pattern on dark body. Vermiform markings over back and head. Unlike other trout, they have a deeply indented tail fin.