Colorado big game hunting and fishing licenses are now available for 2026
Hunters have until April 7 to apply for Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s big game hunting primary draw
Wayne D. Lewis/Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Colorado hunters and fishers can now apply for new opportunities as Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens up applications for its 2026 big game draw and for fishing licenses.
Big game draw applications open until April 7
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers hunting licenses for 10 big game species: elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, pronghorn, black bears and mountain lions.
Hunters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, to apply for Parks and Wildlife’s primary draw application. Corrections to submitted applications can be made until this deadline.
Colorado’s big game draw uses a preference point system to determine who gets limited licenses for hunting. Hunters can apply for up to four hunt choices per species. If a hunter doesn’t nab a license in the primary draw, they can apply in the secondary draw, with applications open starting June 18.
Last year, the Parks and Wildlife Commission rolled out new season structures for big game hunting from 2025 to 2029 and will implement a new draw system in 2028. Additionally, there are a few new big game hunting changes for 2026.
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This includes a change on moose quotas for license holders who were affected by 2025 fires in the Flat Tops area of northwest Colorado; a requirement for hunters in certain areas to submit elk heads killed during rifle season for testing for chronic wasting disease; a few boundary updates for hunting units; deer, elk, pronghorn, moose and bear changes; a change to where non-Colorado residents can purchase over-the-counter licenses to hunt elk; and more.
While bison were added as a new big game species this year, following a change in Colorado law that afforded the species dual classification, Parks and Wildlife is not proposing regular bison hunting seasons at this time, nor does the state have any established wild bison herds. Hunters can apply to be added to a bison hunting roster, which would only be used in cases where the state needs assistance in taking management action to prevent property damage from wild bison.
Parks and Wildlife also increased the Colorado Backcountry Search and Rescue fee from $0.25 to $1.25 this year, which is applied to all hunting and fishing licenses as well as its vehicle permits. This was the first increase to the fee since 1987.
Colorado search-and-rescue organizations are 100% volunteer-based and conduct rescue missions for free. While these organizations are county-based and coordinated through sheriff’s offices or local governments, Colorado Parks and Wildlife provides support and funding through this fee.
For more information on what’s new and to apply for the 2026 draw, visit cpw.state.co.us/hunting/big-game.
Fishing licenses for the 2026-27 season
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers opportunities for anglers to fish over 35 cold- and warm-water fish across 6,000 miles of streams and in over 1,300 lakes and reservoirs.
The agency is now selling fishing licenses for the 2026-27 season. The licenses are valid from March 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. Kids under the age of 15 can fish for free. Parks and Wildlife also offers specialty licenses and passes for veterans, people with disabilities, seniors, income-eligible residents and first responders.
The increased backcountry search and rescue fee will also apply to all fishing licenses purchased this year.
This year, there have been changes to tiger muskie regulations in the Colorado River in North Fork, Grand Lake and Lake Granby; a ban on fishing in Fry Gulch and Herman Gulch from the headwaters to Interstate 70; catch-and-release requirements in George Creek for trout as well as a ban on fishing in the creek between Cornelius Creek and Sheep Creek; as well as a seasonal fishing ban in Blue River and Tenmile Creek.
With the increasing presence of zebra mussels on the Colorado River over the past two years and new protections to gird against the threat of invasive golden mussels, Parks and Wildlife is warning all anglers to clean, drain and dry all fishing gear to help prevent the spread of these, and any, aquatic nuisance species.
Visit cpw.state.co.us/fishing to view what’s new, purchase a license, and to view fishing locations, stocking reports and more.
