East Portal and the Black Canyon routes
The Gold Medal water starts 200 yards below Crystal Dam, the last of the three Aspinall Unit dams, where the East Portal road drops into Curecanti National Recreation Area and the Gunnison Tunnel takes its diversion. East Portal is the only drive-in access to the inner canyon and needs no wilderness permit for day use; the road is closed in winter. From there the river enters Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and is reached only by the six inner-canyon routes, three from each rim: Gunnison, Tomichi and Warner on the South Rim, and Pinyon Draw, Long Draw and Slide Draw on the North Rim. They are unmarked, very steep scrambles, not trails, and the park requires a wilderness permit for every inner-canyon trip, day or overnight.
South Rim route permits must be reserved on Recreation.gov for May through October, with a daily cap on each route; North Rim permits are free and first-come at the ranger station. The 2025 South Rim Fire closed the Tomichi Route and left burned, unstable slopes on the Gunnison Route, so check the park's inner canyon page before planning a descent. No guided fishing is permitted inside the park.
Gunnison Gorge
Below the park boundary the river runs about 14 miles through the BLM's Gunnison Gorge Wilderness to the North Fork confluence, still Gold Medal water and the reach Montrose shops guide. Four trails drop in from Peach Valley Road, Chukar, Bobcat, Duncan and Ute, on primitive roads that turn to mud when wet. Chukar is the put-in for two- and three-day float trips that run Class III rapids to the Gunnison Forks and Pleasure Park takeouts; the other trails serve walk-in anglers. Self-issued wilderness permits with a day-use fee are required, camping is at designated riverside sites only, and outfitters need a BLM special recreation permit.
Almont and the upper river
The Gunnison is formed at Almont, where the East and Taylor rivers meet under Colorado 135 between Gunnison and Crested Butte. This upper river is a separate reach above Blue Mesa Reservoir, not the tailwater this page's gauge measures, but it earned its own Gold Medal designation in 2023 for the 12.5 miles from Almont down to Twin Bridges west of Gunnison. Public wading between Almont and the town of Gunnison is limited to a few easements, so much of it is floated, and drift boats want flows above 800 cfs. Kokanee run up from Blue Mesa in the fall and the browns follow them.
Brown Trout
Browns are the bulk of the canyon population and the fish that make the Gunnison's reputation. June brings the Salmonfly and Golden Stonefly hatch through the Gorge, the event the float trips are booked around, followed by caddis and PMDs through summer and hoppers along the banks in July and August. September through early November is pre-spawn streamer season, with lower flows, fewer boats and aggressive fish.
Rainbow Trout
Wild rainbows share the canyon and Gorge with the browns and are protected: every rainbow caught between Crystal Dam and the Relief Ditch diversion must be released immediately. They feed on the same stonefly, caddis and PMD hatches, with midges and Blue-Winged Olives carrying the fishing in spring and fall, and a small scud or midge in the tailouts is the winter rig.
Season and regulations
Crystal Dam keeps the canyon fishable year-round, though the approaches are the limit: East Portal Road closes in winter and the routes are not recommended in snow. Bureau of Reclamation releases set the flow, and the gauge that matters is USGS 09128000 below the Gunnison Tunnel, the number Montrose and Telluride shops post. Wade fishing in the Gorge is best between 300 and 600 cfs, a wading staff is essential above about 400 cfs on the slick canyon boulders, and float trips want 800 to 1,500 cfs. This page compares the live gauge against the 300 to 600 cfs wading range.
From 200 yards below Crystal Dam downstream to the Relief Ditch diversion, fishing is by artificial flies and lures only and all rainbow trout must be released; inside the national park the brown trout limit is 4 per day and 8 in possession, and no fishing is allowed within 200 yards of the dam. From the East and Taylor confluence at Almont to the US 50 bridge in Gunnison it is also flies and lures only, with a limit of 2 brown trout of at least 16 inches and all rainbows released. Confirm the current Colorado Parks and Wildlife fishing brochure before you go.