Top 16 Colorado Game Fishing Species
- Rainbow trout.
- Brown trout.
- Brook trout.
- Cutthroat trout.
- Lake trout.
- Kokanee salmon.
- Largemouth bass.
- Smallmouth bass.
What is the most common fish to catch in Colorado?
Another long ago introduced species, the yellow perch may be Colorado’s most abundant game fish and one of the most table worthy. Yellow perch have two separate dorsal fins with large vertical dark stripes on their yellowish sides. These fish can be found in large schools and are caught by using bait or small spinners.
What is the best fishing in Colorado?
9 Best Places for Fishing in Colorado
- The Frying Pan River, Basalt. rainbow trout Frying Pan River.
- North Platte River, Walden.
- Roaring Fork River, Aspen.
- Upper Arkansas River, Leadville.
- Gunnison River, Gunnison.
- Cherry Creek Reservoir, Aurora.
- Grand Lake.
- Animas River, Durango.
What fish do you fish for in Colorado?
Though we’re known for trout fishing — particularly rainbows, browns and greenback cutthroats — there are many more finned catches splashing around in our rivers, streams and lakes. You can also expect to find walleye, perch, channel catfish, pike, kokanee salmon, sunfish, bass and much, much more.
What fish can you catch and keep in Colorado?
It is legal to keep five walleye and/or sauger from most rivers and reservoirs, but it is legal to keep as many as 10 in some waters. You can keep up to five largemouth, smallmouth, or spotted bass in most places, although there is no limit on smallmouth bass caught in waters west of the Continental Divide.
What’s the rarest fish in Colorado?
Bonytail Chub (Gila elegans)
The bonytail chub is the rarest of the endangered Colorado River fish species, and a self-sustaining wild population no longer exists, meaning that the species is functionally extinct.
Can you eat the fish you catch in Colorado?
Not to worry! You can still safely eat the fish you catch – and don’t forget that eating fish has many health benefits. The fish in Colorado are routinely tested for mercury levels.
Where is the biggest fish in Colorado?
GRAND LAKE, Colo. (KKTV) – There’s a new record holder in Colorado! Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced recently that Tim Daniel of Granby caught a Brook Trout weighing it 7.84 pounds, measuring 23 1/4 inches in length with a girth of 15 3/8 inches.
What’s the biggest fish in Colorado?
Applications can be sent to:
| Species | Weight | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 11.38 | 1997 |
| Mountain Whitefish | 5.13 | 1982 |
| Northern Pike | 30.69 | 2006 |
| Rainbow Trout | 19.63 | 2003 |
Where are the biggest trout in Colorado?
Spinney Mountain Reservoir. Head to Hartsel for arguably the best trout lakes in the state. It’s a quick hour east of Colorado Springs. Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Eleven Mile Reservoir are both epic fisheries.
Are there salmon in Colorado?
Each fall, Colorado’s kokanee salmon swim nearly 30 miles upstream from Blue Mesa Reservoir to the Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery in Almont, Colorado. Here, CPW biologists and hatchery staff collect eggs from these unique, landlocked sockeye salmon.
Can you fish year round in Colorado?
Waters of Colorado are open to taking fish, amphibians, mollusks and crustaceans both day and night, year-round, except as otherwise provided in the Fishing Regulations Brochure.
Are there Muskie in Colorado?
Tiger Muskies are stocked in late summer in Colorado. Some of the bodies of water in the vicinity of the Front Range where they are stocked include Evergreen Reservoir, Antero Reservoir, Pinewood Reservoir and Big Creek along with Gross Reservoir.
Are salt licks legal in Colorado?
What you might not know is that the use of a salt lick is actually illegal in Colorado, as it’s considered baiting animals. Salt licks can also encourage animals to travel to unnatural places, causing issues with animal-human interactions, as was the case here.
Is Corn legal to fish with in Colorado?
Here are the places where chumming with corn is NOT allowed: California. Colorado. Hawaii.
Can you fish in Colorado without a license?
Colorado law dictates that anyone over the age of 16 who fishes must have a valid fishing license. Anyone under the age of 16 can fish without a license.
What is the rarest trout in Colorado?
Colorado officials have evidence that the endangered greenback cutthroat trout is reproducing in the wild. The greenback cutthroat trout, Colorado’s state fish, was declared extinct over 50 years ago.
Are there sturgeon in Colorado?
No records of shovelnose sturgeon collections exist for those portions of Colorado and Kansas that are located in Region 2 and this species is neither considered native nor known to occur in those portions of aforementioned states that are within Region 2.
What is the Colorado state fish?
Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, was once considered completely extinct, but state biologists announced Friday that the species is now reproducing on its own.
Is night fishing legal in Colorado?
Except as otherwise provided in these regulations, all waters of the state shall be open to fishing using all manners of take day and night, year around.
How many hooks can you have on a line in Colorado?
Each line shall have no more than 3 common hooks attached.