Cochetopa Creek
Cochetopa Creek, Saguache County, CO
Taking its name from the Southern Ute phrase for “Buffalo Pass”, Cochetopa Creek is a lesser known small freestone fishery in the south central region of Colorado.
Lying in the shadow of San Luis Peak and the San Juan Mountains, this stream well south of Gunnison runs for around 40 miles and feeds into the Tomichi Creek.
The vast majority of the land around the Cochetopa between the eponymous pass and its terminus is made up of flat meadow country, most of it belonging to a number of operational multi-generation cattle ranches such as the Coleman and the Snyder families.
Just south of the Cochetopa lies the Rio Grande National Forest, providing an old growth forest backdrop as a counterpoint to the 14’ers of the San Juans.
The chief attraction for anglers visiting Cochetopa is the browns and rainbows that swim wild all along its length. These are true wild trout, and the chances of landing a large rainbow or brown is extremely good since these fish don’t see artificial flies and lures very often.
One caveat for fishing the Cochetopa though: much of the meadowland here is grazing territory for the cattle ranchers, and you need to be respectful of private property boundaries as you make your way along the banks of this freestone creek.
Get a good map of the area with property line markings, and make sure you know where you are at all times to avoid an uncomfortable trespassing incident.
Flow and water conditions are at the mercy of the prevailing weather here too, so make sure you check out the local fishing conditions before setting out.
TL;DR
Cochetopa Creek is a small freestone fishery in Colorado. It's in the shadow of San Luis Peak and the San Juans. The land around it is mostly cattle ranches. The creek has wild browns and rainbows that don't see lures often. But watch out for private property and check the water conditions.
