Fly Fishing
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The Telluride area offers trout fishing at its best! With Gold Medal waters, freestone rivers, small alpine creeks, technical tailwater fishing and high mountain lakes - the fly fisher visiting the Telluride region can find it all. The San Miguel River, the Dolores River, the Gunnison River and numerous lakes are all within easy reach of Telluride.
Telluride Reservations Center and Telluride.com work with some of the Telluride area's best outfitters and we can help you book a guided fly-fishing trip or even a combined fly-fishing/waterfowl hunt. To book your trip, simply call our local Telluride vacation specialists at 1.888.353.5473!
Most Popular Tours
- Half-Day Uncompahgre river - priced from $180/person
- Full-Day Wade San Miguel or Dolores river - priced from $165/person
- Full-Day Float Lower Gunnison river - priced from $250/person
San Miguel River
The San Miguel is one of two free flowing rivers left in Colorado. This freestone stream originates in the basins surrounding Telluride and has miles of accessible fishing. While the main river holds predominately Rainbow and Brown Trout, the headwaters and side creeks are home to Brookies and Cutthroats. The summer and fall months provide wonderful dry fly fishing. However, the river is accessible year-round, with often the largest fish being caught in the spring, prior to runoff. Beginning anglers will find the San Miguel an excellent location to improve their skills on this somewhat "non-technical" river. The seasoned fisher will also find many challenging situations, as well as fish of surprising size and strength. We are truly blessed to have this treasure right in our back yard. The South Fork of the San Miguel is found west of town in the Ilium Valley. 
The Gunnison: Black Canyon, Montrose and Delta
The lower fourteen miles of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River (The Gunnison Gorge) is a Gold Medal fishery holding large Browns and Rainbows. This section of river is a designated Wilderness Study Area where access is difficult and commercial use is very limited. Few locations provide the combination of excellent fishing, wildlife and scenery which you will find in the Black Canyon. It is one of the premier trips of the lower forty-eight! The Black Canyon is a Fee-Use area and special regulations apply - please stop by the any Telluride area Fly Shop to obtain a copy of the BLM regulations. All trips into the Gorge are pack-in, pack-out; please follow all regulations and help us keep this incredible resource in its pristine condition!
The Dolores: Hwy. 145 below McPhee Dam outside Cortez
South of Telluride, the Dolores River begins its journey from the high mountains above Lizard Head Pass. The "Upper Dolores" (Lizard Head Pass to the town of Dolores) is a freestone stream similar to the San Miguel. Below McPhee Reservoir lies an eleven mile stretch of Quality Waters home to big Cutthroats, Browns and Rainbows. This catch-and-release tailwater characteristically contains selective, picky trout that can only be fooled by small flies and delicate presentations. These spring-creek like conditions can challenge the finest of anglers.
Large trout may be caught using a variety of techniques on the Uncompahgre. This special river offers outstanding match-the-hatch dry fly fishing in summer and fall months and some of our best winter fishing from November-April. In every season, the Uncompahgre is one of our favorite trout streams. The Uncompahgre is dammed-controlled water, so river levels and water clarity are more consistent than on the San Miguel and Dolores. The Uncompahgre is lower gradient than the high elevation San Miguel and Dolores, lending to excellent brown trout habitat. The river is primarily fished at
Lakes and Ponds 
The Telluride area also contains numerous Alpine Lakes open to fishing. Stocked lakes can be great learning grounds for the beginning angler. In many lakes where regular stocking has not occurred, the trout have grown large, wild, wary and tough to fool.
Kids' Fishin' Pond
Stocked regularly in the summer, no license required for kids 15 and younger. The
Alta Lakes
Located 9 miles south from Telluride off highway 145, then 5 miles up a maintained NFS road, Alta offers high-elevation trout fishing at its finest. The lakes are relatively shallow and stocked regularly with rainbow trout.
Priest Lake
A shallow brook trout pond located on the Forest Service road between
Silver Lake
Located high above Telluride in an upper notch of Bridal Veil Basin, Silver Lake is one of Colorado’s iconic alpine lakes. Known for large, weary cutthroat trout, fishing stories from Silver Lake usually highlight the fish that didn’t get caught. Silver Lake is recommended for the stout and experienced, both in terms of fishing and hiking. The “trail” climbs approximately 1,700 vertical feet in less than a mile from the main stem of the Bridal Veil Basin trail.
Trout Lake
Located approximately 12 miles south from Telluride on Highway 145 near Lizard Head Pass, Trout Lake is a high elevation residential lake with a deeded right for public access. A relatively large lake by Telluride standards, Trout Lake offers excellent fishing opportunities from shore or boat. Boat rentals and services are not available locally.
The Telluride region offers some of the country's best public waters for fly fishing, easily accessible from Telluride, including the Valley Floor, recently acquired by Town of Telluride for public access. Rigs Fly Shop and Guide Service also has exclusive access to private waters in the region. To book your trip, simply call our local Telluride vacation specialists at 1.888.353.5473!
