Little Colorado River

River Map

About Little Colorado River

The upper Little Colorado River near Springerville and Alpine flows through open high-elevation meadows and willow-lined banks at over 7,000 feet in Apache County — a classic high-country meadow stream with long grassy bends and undercut banks hiding surprisingly large rainbow and brown trout. Far less pressured than the White Mountains reservoirs and tributary canyon streams, the upper LCR rewards slow, careful approaches with long leaders and offers exceptional dry-fly opportunities during summer midge and PMD hatches.

Regulations

Standard AZGFD trout regulations apply. Flows are entirely snowmelt and monsoon-driven — the river can drop sharply after the July monsoon season ends. The gauge at Springerville measures the river in the lower agricultural valley; upper river sections near Alpine and Nutrioso run considerably lower. Check AZGFD for any special regulations near the South Fork confluence or downstream tributaries near Greer.

Learn More

Guides to help you fish Little Colorado River with more confidence.

• Arizona Fishing Regulations for Fly Anglers

  Licenses (no separate trout stamp), the year-round default season, the Apache Trout catch-and-release statewide rule, the West Fork Oak Creek…

• Trout Species of Arizona

  Arizona's only native trout — the Apache Trout, the state fish and one of the great Western recovery success stories — alongside wild brown trout on…

• How Barometric Pressure Affects Fishing (And How to Use It)

  That gorgeous bluebird day after a cold front? Worst fishing of the year. Here's the data behind why pressure changes matter more than the weather…