Eagle River

Upper Eagle
The Eagle River is generally divided into Upper and Lower sections by the locals. The Upper Eagle River begins high in the Rocky Mountains around Tennessee Pass at over 10,000 feet, and is difficult to fish until the town of Minturn at around 8,000 feet.

To get there, take I-70 about 3 miles west of Vail, and then take the exit for U.S. Highway 24 and head south a couple of miles to the town of Minturn.

If you stay on I-70 and go a little further west, there are some excellent places to fish right in the town of Avon, about 9 miles west of Vail. 3 or 4 miles further, you'll find some good fishing near the rest area just off I-70 (exit 163).

Another good place to fish is downstream of Edwards, the stretch of river where I-70 crosses over. Here you'll find about 2 miles of public water. Then about 3 miles down is the town of Wolcott. You'll find plenty of water open to the public from here all the way down to Eagle, a distance of about 10 miles.

Lower Eagle
The Lower Eagle River is usually considered to be from Eagle to Dotsero, where it flows into the Colorado River. Between Eagle and Gypsum, access can be gained to the river from the service road which parallels the river just upstream of Gypsum. The road comes to an end at the Gypsum Ponds State Wildlife Area, but there is a little more public access to the river if you're willing to wade upstream.

Below Gypsum the river flows into the Bureau of Land Management public land, so there are lots of places to fish. To get there, use the service road that runs along the north side of the river. There are lots of places to park along the way.