Fishing in Curecanti National Recreation Area

Curecanti sits on the upper Gunnison River in western Colorado, where three Bureau of Reclamation dams created a chain of reservoirs stretching across high-desert mesa country between Gunnison and Montrose.

The park manages Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal reservoirs, along with the river and tributary water connecting them — a mix of still water, canyon-walled impoundments, and moving river that fishes very differently depending on where you go.

Blue Mesa Reservoir is the anchor. At 20 miles long with nearly 100 miles of shoreline, it's Colorado's largest body of water and holds the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States, stocked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Brown, rainbow, brook, and lake trout (Mackinaw) are all present, along with yellow perch. Lake trout run deep — the reservoir exceeds 340 feet — and trolling is the standard approach for open-water fishing.

The fall spawning run draws fly anglers to tributary mouths and inflowing drainages, where fresh water concentrates fish. Snagging Kokanee is permitted in Blue Mesa from November 1 through December 31. Blue Mesa also draws ice anglers in winter.

Motorized boats require a Curecanti NRA boat launch permit sticker and must pass an aquatic invasive species inspection at Elk Creek, Lake Fork, or Iola before launching. Morrow Point Reservoir is a different proposition.

There are no drive-to put-ins; boats must be carried down the Pine Creek Trail stairway to reach the water, so it sees far less pressure than Blue Mesa. The steep canyon walls give it a fjord-like character.

Kokanee snagging opens here September 1 through December 31. Crystal Reservoir, the smallest of the three, follows similar rules — Kokanee snagging runs September 1 through December 31, and fishing is closed within 200 yards below Crystal Dam.

Below Crystal Dam, the Gunnison River through Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park carries Gold Medal and Wild Trout designation.

Special gear restrictions apply in those park waters: only artificial flies or lures with one hook on a common shank are permitted. The Lake Fork of the Gunnison at Gateview and Curecanti Creek, which feeds Morrow Point Reservoir, are noted for brook trout.

The Gunnison River corridor and its tributaries fish well on streamers in early spring and fall; the hatch schedule runs roughly mayflies in May, Green Drakes in June, stoneflies through July and August.

A Colorado fishing license covers you here — no separate park permit. Closed zones below each dam are hard boundaries, and Kokanee rules on the Gunnison east of the Lake City Bridge carry their own seasonal restrictions.

Check current Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations before you go, particularly around the rainbow trout spawn. The water here rewards anglers who pay attention to season and location.

Blue Mesa in November, a tributary mouth at dusk during the Kokanee run, or a quiet stretch of the Lake Fork — the park holds more variety than a quick pass through suggests.