Kokanee salmon are the headliner and a 20-pound-plus northern pike is the trophy. Below: this week's report, every species with how to fish it, a month-by-month calendar, shore-vs-boat access, and the regs you need to fish legally.
Start at the docks. In summer, kids can catch yellow perch right off the docks on a worm and a bobber — easy first fishing, no boat needed, and there's no bag limit on perch.
Loading this week's outlook…
The bite changes fast — for the current word, ask at the marina or book a local guide. See the full weekly report & archive →
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A solunar forecast — the major and minor feeding periods predicted from the moon's position over Vallecito today. It's a fishing-activity model, not a guarantee: weather, water clarity, and the hatch matter at least as much. Computed from sun/moon math for the lake (37.34°, −107.56°) — no live data, no API.
Calculating today's windows…
Seven gamefish in the reservoir, plus brook trout up the creeks. Tap a fish to jump to it, see the at-a-glance table, then the details.
| Species | Status | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Kokanee Salmon | Stocked · the headliner | Jun–Aug troll; Nov 15–Dec 31 snag (Grimes Creek stretch) |
| Northern Pike | Self-sustaining · the trophy | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct |
| Rainbow Trout | Stocked · reliable | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct |
| Brown Trout | Self-sustaining | Late Sep–Nov |
| Walleye | Self-sustaining · low-light | May–Jun, Sep–Oct |
| Smallmouth Bass | Self-sustaining | Jun–Aug |
| Yellow Perch | Panfish · unlimited | Best through the ice (Dec–Mar) |
The headliner — landlocked sockeye, stocked annually by CPW. Troll from June through August (small dodgers/squids, downriggers or leaded line to find the temperature band); fish early, before the wind comes up around 2 p.m. The fall fishery is a snagging season, Nov 15 – Dec 31, and only in the Grimes Creek inlet stretch (see regs); bag limit 10. Honest note: kokanee numbers have had down years (local guides point to fish lost during the 2015 spillway releases), so a given season can run hot or thin — check the weekly report above, or ask at the marina or a guide for this year's outlook.
Self-sustaining and the trophy of the lake — 20-pound-plus fish live here. Best in the north end (weedy, shallower water) in late spring and again in early fall. No bag limit — CPW encourages harvest to protect native fish downstream, so keep what you'll eat. Big baits: spoons, large spinnerbaits, swimbaits.
Stocked annually and the most reliable catch for casual anglers. Best around ice-out and again in fall. Troll, bait-fish from shore, or cast spinners; bag limit 4 (trout).
Self-sustaining and wilier than the rainbows. Late September through November is prime as browns get aggressive ahead of their fall spawn. Streamers and larger lures near structure.
Self-sustaining; a low-light, structure-oriented fish. Work 10–40 ft from a boat with bottom bouncers/worm harnesses or vertical jigs; dawn, dusk, and overcast days are best. Tough to target from shore. Bag limit 5.
Self-sustaining; hold on rocky structure and around docks. June–July are the shallow months as the water warms; tubes, jigs, and crankbaits. No bag limit (CPW encourages harvest).
A small, abundant panfish — mostly an ice-season target. Perch school over flats and basins; drop small jigs tipped with bait through the ice and stay mobile until you find the school. There's no bag limit, so they're a good keep-and-fry fish. In summer, kids can pick them up off the docks on a worm and bobber — easy first fishing.
Up the creeks: small brook trout are catchable in Vallecito Creek and the Pine River above the lake.
A rough rhythm of the season — mountain conditions vary year to year, so check live conditions and the weekly report before you go.
| Month | What's fishable | Tactic of the month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Ice fishing (where ice is safe) | Jig for trout & perch through the ice | Mid-winter; no official ice reports — check locally before you walk out. |
| February | Ice fishing | Jigging; the local ice-fishing tournament is late Feb | Hard-water peak. |
| March | Late ice → transition | Cautious ice jigging early in the month | Ice gets unreliable as it warms; ice-out approaches. |
| April | Pike, rainbow trout (ice-out) | Cast/troll the shallows as pike and trout move up | Ice-out begins; lake may be low and rising. |
| May | Pike, trout, early walleye | Shallow presentations; low-light for walleye | Runoff builds in the creeks; conditions change fast. |
| June | Kokanee (troll), smallmouth, trout | Start trolling for kokanee; fish at first light | Free Fishing Days (first full weekend); wind by ~2 p.m.; creeks high with runoff. |
| July | Kokanee, smallmouth, trout | Troll deeper as water warms; smallmouth on rock | Afternoon thunderstorms + wind — start at dawn; busiest month. |
| August | Kokanee, smallmouth, walleye | Low-light walleye; keep trolling kokanee | Warm; monsoon storms; early starts pay. |
| September | Browns, trout, pike — best all-around | Streamers for browns; cover water for pike | Grimes Creek inlet closes Sep 1 (through Nov 14); fewer crowds. |
| October | Browns, trout, pike | Fall feed — bigger lures | Cold nights, great color. |
| November | Kokanee snagging (from Nov 15) | Snag kokanee in the Grimes Creek stretch only | Grimes Creek closure ends Nov 14, snagging opens Nov 15; ice forms late. |
| December | Kokanee snagging (to Dec 31); early ice | Snagging in the stretch; first-ice jigging where safe | Cold; verify ice with locals. |
Bank access is realistic around the public areas and the PRID public-ramp area; trout and pike are the most shore-friendly targets, while walleye are tough from shore (they hold deep). Watch the live lake level — when it drops, the shoreline and some access points shift. See the lake map for public access points.
Rent a boat (fishing boats, pontoons) at the Vallecito Marina, or launch your own at the marina or the PRID public ramp (open May 1–Nov 1). You'll need a PRID permit and, for trailered/motorized boats, an ANS inspection — arrive clean, drained, and dry. Permit prices and buy links are in Licenses & permits below; the ramp + inspection walkthrough is on Launch Your Boat. And fish early: the afternoon wind on this lake is real and predictable.
🛶 Also worth a cast: Lemon Reservoir, about 10 miles away on the Florida River, is a smaller (~600-acre) non-motorized lake stocked with rainbow trout (plus brown trout and kokanee) — a quieter alternative when Vallecito is busy or windy, with Forest Service camping at Florida and Transfer Park. (Source: durango.org.)
Everything you need to fish, boat, and ride legally at Vallecito, with direct buy links. Prices verified June 2026 — confirm at the official portal before you buy. This is the one place we keep prices; other pages link here.
License year Mar 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027. Official portal: cpwshop.com.
| Permit | Who · price | Get it |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing license | Age 16+. Resident annual $44.87 (senior 64+ / youth 16–17 $12.96; 1-day $18.07). Nonresident annual $124.01 (5-day $41.04; 1-day $21.90). | Buy → cpwshop.com · or the CPW Durango office (151 E 16th St) or any authorized agent |
| Second-rod stamp | $14.24 (optional — fish two rods) | Add with your license at cpwshop.com |
| Habitat Stamp | Ages 18–64: $12.76 (auto-added to your first license purchase) | Included at checkout |
| Permit | Who · price | Get it |
|---|---|---|
| ANS stamp aquatic nuisance species | Per motor/sail boat. Resident $25 (with registration); nonresident $50. Kayaks/SUPs exempt — but trailered craft are still inspected. | Buy → cpwshop.com |
| PRID recreation permit per vehicle | Day $6 · annual $60. Receipt on the dash (day) or a mailed hang-tag (annual). | Day → · Annual → |
| PRID boat + rec combo | Day $12 · annual boat $60. For motorized/trailered boats; SUP/kayak need only the vehicle permit. | Combo day → · Annual boat → |
In person: PRID office (13029 CR 501, (970) 884-2558), Pine River Lodge, or Vallecito Marina. Public ramp open May 1–Nov 1.
| Permit | Who · price | Get it |
|---|---|---|
| OHV registration / permit | $26.25/yr (Apr 1–Mar 31), including street-legal rigs on designated OHV trails | Register → cpwshop.com |
| Hunting | Varies by species & season | CPW licensing portal → |
| Hiking / Wilderness | Free — no permit required. Just follow Wilderness rules. | — |
Sources: CPW fee tables + cpwshop.com; Pine River Irrigation District recreation-fee pages. Verified June 2026.
Bag/possession limits and special-water rules below. Always confirm current limits with Colorado Parks & Wildlife before you fish.
| Trout (rainbow / brown) | Bag & possession limit 4 |
| Kokanee salmon | Bag & possession limit 10 |
| Walleye | Bag limit 5 (statewide default) |
| Northern pike | Unlimited — CPW encourages harvest (protects native fish downstream) |
| Smallmouth bass | Unlimited — CPW encourages harvest |
| Yellow perch | Unlimited |
| Grimes Creek inlet — fall closure | Fishing prohibited Sep 1 – Nov 14, in the Grimes Creek inlet area only (from the Bureau of Reclamation property boundary downstream to the reservoir's standing-water line) — not the whole lake. |
| Snagging (kokanee) | Allowed Nov 15 – Dec 31, in that same Grimes Creek inlet stretch only. |
| License season | Mar 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027 |
| Free Fishing Days | First full weekend of June (no license required those two days) |
Sources: Colorado Parks & Wildlife Chapter W-1 final fishing regulations and CPW eRegulations special-waters listings (Grimes Creek inlet closure Sep 1–Nov 14; snagging Nov 15–Dec 31; kokanee limit 10). Verified June 2026 — confirm before you fish.
Hire local — they'll have this week's pattern dialed. Tap a guide for full contact details.
Local notes: fish early — the afternoon wind is predictable. Watch the lake level; when it drops, fish reposition and some ramps get tricky (the reservoir gives away nearly half its water most summers — the 85-year pattern →). During the fall run, know exactly where snagging is and isn't allowed (Grimes Creek inlet stretch only). New here? See the first-visit guide and the lake map.