No license? No problem. Colorado’s Free Fishing Weekend returns June 6-7
Jun 4, 2026, 9:07 AM
For one weekend every summer, Colorado throws open 6,000 miles of streams and more than 1,300 lakes and reservoirs to anyone who wants to cast a line — no fishing license required.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s annual Free Fishing Weekend returns Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7. Both the fishing license and the Habitat Stamp are waived for the full 48 hours, making it free and legal for residents and nonresidents of all ages to fish anywhere in the state. No registration is needed.
The event, held the first full weekend of June each year, is designed to get Coloradans — and visitors — outdoors and hooked on a sport the state is built for. Colorado is home to more than 35 fish species, including cold-water trout in high-country streams and warm-water bass in plains reservoirs, spread across some of the most scenic water in the country.
While the license requirement is lifted, all other fishing regulations remain in full effect. That means bag limits, possession limits, size restrictions and gear rules still apply exactly as they do on any other day. Anglers should check CPW’s regulations for the specific water they plan to fish.
CPW is also hosting beginner-friendly clinics and events around the state throughout the weekend. In Colorado Springs, a Get Outdoors Day festival will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Prospect Lake in Memorial Park, where CPW will give away fishing poles and bait and offer free instruction to kids. Additional clinic locations can be found at cpw.state.co.us. The weekend also coincides with National Trails Day, when the U.S. Forest Service is waiving fees at federal lands across Colorado — making it a two-for-one weekend for anyone looking to get outside.
