At this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter-in-place orders have extended through the end of April, limiting individuals to essential travel only. Luckily, outdoor activities that we love such as hiking, dispersed camping and fishing have remained essential under the outdoor recreation exception. With that said, we’ve begun to see individual Colorado county governments take additional action to ensure the safety of their residents.
A number of counties have started enforcing “locals only” restrictions and even closures on outdoor activities and public land access within their county lines. So, while fishing is still an “essential activity,” statewide, anglers may not be able to visit their favorite river if it is located outside their residential county. To help anglers better understand the regulations and counties enforcing “locals only” restrictions, we’ve put together a list of counties and their current COVID-19 fishing restrictions.
Please note: these designations are based purely off our understanding of each county’s Public Health Order. If you wish to confirm for yourself, we’ve provided hyperlinks for each county below. This is not a comprehensive list and guidance is constantly changing. We will do our best to update this page as guidance changes. In addition, we urge anglers who choose to travel outside of their county to avoid fishing in groups; practice recommended social distancing; and avoid visiting essential businesses (gas stations, grocery stores, etc.) in those visited counties to protect yourselves and your fellow Coloradans.
Counties with Visitor Restrictions
Clear Creek County: Clear Creek
Eagle County: Eagle River, Colorado River
Gilpin County: South Boulder Creek
Gunnison County: Gunnison River, Taylor River
Ouray County: Uncompahgre River
San Miguel County: San Miguel River