Archuleta Creek is a small but noteable tributary of Cochetopa Creek which is a noteable fishery of Tomichi Creek and the Gunnison River.  Archuleta is a small meadow stream and is very similar to all the creeks in the area.  mostly open meadows with little to get hung up on when you cast, it’s an easy place to cast, provided you can land it in the river.  Mostly only 7ft wide or smaller, it’s a tiny creek that works best when fished from your knees and with a longer cast.  The fish aren’t spooky to your fly, but they will be spooky to you coming up on the hole where they are, so keep your distance and make some fun and long casts with a single dry or a small streamer into the bends and undercut banks of the creek as it flows into Dome Lakes and becomes part of Cochetopa Creek.

Archuleta is really only worth fishing in the lower stretches and though mostly public, it just doesn’t have enough size to be worth fishing for too long.  It’s worth an hour or two while you’re up in the area to say you fished it and to chase a few fish as there are some surprisingly large trout that make it into the creek from the lakes.  Though most fish will be small, I’ve caught a few over 16” which makes fishing a creek of this size for fish this big a rewarding experience.

Most dry flies or small streamers will produce fish and they aren’t overly picky as long as they aren’t spooked.  Don’t overlook Dome Lakes below with streamers and dry flies and nymphs as well as all the SWA sections on both Los Pinos Creek to the southwest and Cochetopa creek SWA areas itself.  A lot of wild fish up here and even the smaller ones will put up a fight.  It’s a great place to spend a day or two with ample camping up into the further reaches by the national forest areas.

This area fishes best from late April into the fall, but rain and runoff really color up the water making it less enjoyable in the spring.  Best times to fish are After runoff has calmed down and it’s more predictable flows.