North Platte River - Northgate Canyon

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Conditions

No conditions check on file for this trail yet — always verify current conditions before you go.

Why you'll love it

Gold Medal water

River

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North Platte River - Northgate Canyon

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Fishing rules here

Brook Trout
Daily limit: 4
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Many small mountain streams have an 8-fish bonus limit — confirm at the source link.
Brown Trout
Daily limit: 4
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Counts toward 4-trout aggregate.
Cutthroat Trout
Daily limit: 4
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Greenback / Rio Grande / Colorado River cutthroat populations have additional water-specific restrictions — confirm at the source link.
Kokanee
Daily limit: 10
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Daily limit drops to 5 on some reservoirs during snagging season — confirm at source link.
Lake Trout
Daily limit: 8
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Lake trout do NOT count toward the 4-trout aggregate.
Largemouth Bass
Daily limit: 5 · Min size: 15"
Curated from CPW statewide bag. Confirm water-specific exceptions at source link.

License needed

Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Resident annual: $36
Non-resident annual: $100
Day pass: $16

Pricing retrieved May 12, 2026

Learn more at the agency Buy license

About this water

Northgate Canyon on the North Platte River near Cowdrey is a remote and spectacular Gold Medal fishery offering trophy brown and rainbow trout fishing in a deep canyon accessible only by foot or raft. The river here is characterized by large boulders, deep pools, and fast runs that hold exceptional wild trout. This is one of Colorado's most underrated trophy fisheries, with fish regularly exceeding 20 inches.