Colorado Fishing Guides, Trout Fishing in Colorado

Much of Colorado is wilderness, and many of the best fishing spots are in remote locales. For a safe, successful fishing trip, hire one of the numerous professional Colorado fishing guides. Colorado consists of rugged mountains, plateaus, craggy canyons, high plains, and expanses of forests, and it’s well known for its outdoor activities.

The lakes, rivers, and streams of the state are, for the most part, clear, cold, and teeming with fish. Species include the blue, channel, and flathead catfish; bluegill; crappie; brook, brown, cutbow, cutthroat, lake, and rainbow trout; freshwater drum; grayling; northern pike; walleye; sauger; tiger muskie; yellow perch; kokanee; and largemouth, smallmouth, white, and wiper bass. Trout is the most sought after species with sport fishermen and the professional Colorado fishing guides.

Colorado Trout Fishing, Top Colorado Trout Lakes, Rivers, ans Streams

Brook trout – The Colorado record brookie weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. These fish generally prefer clear, cold lakes and streams, especially those found at higher elevations. Many Colorado lakes hold brook trout, including Lake Avery, Mesa Lake, Beaver Lake, Grand Lake, Pearl Lake, Trappers Lake, and Sylvan Lake. Rivers and streams that produce brookies include Eagle River, Frying Pan River, Roaring Fork River, the South Platte, and Clear and Bear creeks.

Brown trout – The state record brown trout weighed over 30 pounds, and a longer specimen was released. For lakes with brown trout, try Boyd, Carter, Dowdy, Estes, Parvin, West, and Turquoise lakes, along with Blue Mesa Reservoir, Lake John, Navajo Reservoir, Pinewood Reservoir, and Willow Creek Reservoir. For rivers and streams, check out Clear Creek, Bear Creek, Big Thompson River, Williams Fork River, the Colorado River, and the Yampa River. All of these lakes and resevoirs have local Colorado fishing guides should you wish to fish with a professional.

Cutbow trout – This is a cross between a cutthroat and a rainbow trout. If you’d like to try your hand at cutbow fishing, try the Pueblo Reservoir, the Quincy Reservoir, the Antero Reservoir, or Boyd, Standley, Haviland, or Georgetown lakes. Other than lakes and reservoirs, these hybrids can be found in the South Platte River and in Clear Creek.

Cutthroat trout – Cutthroats are aggressive feeders and are relatively easy to catch. Some of the best Colorado lakes for cutthroat fishing are East, Carter, Dowdy, Mesa, and Jefferson, along with reservoirs like Green Mountain, Eleven Mile, Meadow Creek, Long Draw, and Taylor Park. The Eagle, the Arkansas, the Yampa, the Gunnison, the Colorado, and the Roaring Fork rivers also hold cutthroat trout.

Lake trout – Lake trout can get huge – more than four feet in length. As the name implies, these are lake dwellers. Colorado lakes that hold populations of lake trout include Chambers, Grand, Turquoise, and Jefferson lakes. Reservoirs with lake trout include Barnes Meadow, Rampart, Williams Fork, Horsetooth, Taylor Park, and Joe Wright.

Rainbow trout – Rainbows are popular with Colorado anglers because of their natural beauty, their flavor, and their appetites. When fishing for Colorado rainbows, check out Beaver Lake, Barr Lake, Chatfield Reservoir, Flatiron Reservoir, Grand Lake, Stalker Lake, Twin Lakes, Watson Lake, and Elkhead Reservoir. If you prefer fishing in rivers and streams, try Bear Creek, the lower sections of the Arkansas River, the Roaring Fork River, Clear Creek, the Blue River, and the Cache La Poudre River. With all these great locations it is wise to hire a local Colorado fishing guide to help you find the best spots for catching the species you wish to target.