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Fish stocking schedule

Colorado fish stocking schedule 2026.

Year-RoundColorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado operates one of the most diverse stocking programs in the West — high-elevation lake stocking by aircraft, native cutthroat restoration, kokanee salmon, tiger muskie, and rainbow trout in lowland reservoirs.

Official source

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Stocking Report

Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes the authoritative Colorado stocking schedule — Weekly updates in Searchable database format. For this week's actual stocking locations, dates, and volumes, view the official report directly.

View official Colorado stocking report

This page summarizes the Colorado stocking program for planning purposes. The agency report is the authoritative source — verify before any trip.

Primary stocked species in Colorado

Typical stocking pattern by species. Heavy fill marks primary stocking months; moderate fill marks possible stocking. Verify exact dates against the official report.

  • Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss
    JanJan — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesFebFeb — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesMarMar — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesAprApr — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesMayMay — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesJunJun — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesJulJul — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesAugAug — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesSepSep — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesOctOct — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesNovNov — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inchesDecDec — moderate stocking Rainbow Trout typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inches
    Typical size: 9–12 inch catchable; some trophy fish 16+ inches
  • Brown TroutSalmo trutta
    JanJan — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesFebFeb — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesMarMar — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesAprApr — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesMayMay — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesJunJun — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesJulJul — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesAugAug — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesSepSep — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesOctOct — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesNovNov — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inchesDecDec — moderate stocking Brown Trout typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inches
    Typical size: 9–14 inch catchable; trophy fish 18–24 inches
  • Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalis
    JanJan — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableFebFeb — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableMarMar — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableAprApr — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableMayMay — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableJunJun — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableJulJul — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableAugAug — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableSepSep — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableOctOct — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableNovNov — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchableDecDec — moderate stocking Brook Trout typical size: 8–11 inch catchable
    Typical size: 8–11 inch catchable
  • Kokanee SalmonOncorhynchus nerka
    JanJan — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingFebFeb — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingMarMar — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingAprApr — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingMayMay — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingJunJun — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingJulJul — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingAugAug — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingSepSep — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingOctOct — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingNovNov — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerlingDecDec — moderate stocking Kokanee Salmon typical size: 2–3 inch fingerling
    Typical size: 2–3 inch fingerling
  • Tiger MuskieEsox masquinongy × Esox lucius
    JanJan — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingFebFeb — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingMarMar — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingAprApr — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingMayMay — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingJunJun — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingJulJul — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingAugAug — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingSepSep — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingOctOct — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingNovNov — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerlingDecDec — moderate stocking Tiger Muskie typical size: 8–10 inch fingerling
    Typical size: 8–10 inch fingerling
  • Hybrid Striped BassMorone saxatilis × M. chrysops
    JanJan — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingFebFeb — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingMarMar — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingAprApr — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingMayMay — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingJunJun — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingJulJul — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingAugAug — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingSepSep — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingOctOct — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingNovNov — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerlingDecDec — moderate stocking Hybrid Striped Bass typical size: 1–2 inch fingerling
    Typical size: 1–2 inch fingerling

Top stocked waterbodies in Colorado

Notable Colorado programs

  • High Mountain Lake Aerial Stocking
  • Cutthroat Trout Restoration (Greenback, Colorado River)
  • Tiger Muskie Predator Stocking
  • Kokanee Salmon Reservoir Program

State hatchery system

Colorado operates 19 state-run fish hatcheries supporting the stocking program.

Colorado urban fishing program

Colorado maintains a designated urban fishing program — typically frequent stockings of catfish, trout, and panfish in city ponds and lakes. These programs are designed to make fishing accessible to families and first-time anglers.

Colorado urban fishing program details →

Weekly stocking alerts for Colorado.

Bield: Fish reads Colorado Parks and Wildlife's stocking reports and alerts you when your saved waters are stocked. Set your county once and you'll know the day fish hit your home river.

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