Know Your Fish
Fishing in Colorado means opportunity and chance to catch some 35 species of both warm- and cold-water fish. You can fish for the famed rainbow trout in a cool Rocky Mountain stream or troll for walleye on a sunny plains reservoir. And Colorado offers everything in between, too.
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Invasive Species
Golden Trout
This species is not fishable.
Golden Trout are brown to olive in color on their backs. Golden yellowish sides, with crimson stripe and dark markings along a lateral line. Red gill covers. Adipose fin (fleshy dorsal fin). Triangular dorsal fin.
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Invasive Species
Grass Carp
This species is not fishable.
Grass carp are a robust, thick-bodied fish with a large eye and a blunt head ending in a terminal mouth which lacks barbels. The eye is typically low in the head, almost in line with the tip of the mouth. They possess large cycloid dark scales, which give a cross-hatched appearance.
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Invasive Species
Grayling (Arctic)
This species is not fishable.
Grayling have an iridescent appearance. Their dorsal fin is dusky brown to dark gray with rows of red, purple or bluish spots, and sail-like in shape. Dark back. Grayish silver sides with dark spots. Pink to orange stripes mark the pelvic fins.
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Invasive Species
Green Sunfish
This species is not fishable.
Green Sunfish have a dark green back. Dark olive to bluish sides. Yellow or whitish belly. Scales with a brassy appearance. Dark gill spot has a pale margin.
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Invasive Species
Greenback Cutthroat Trout
This species is not fishable.
They have dark, round spots on the sides and tail and two colorful blood-red stripes on each side of the throat under the jaw, hence the name "cutthroat." During the spring spawning season the entire belly may become crimson red.
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Invasive Species
Humpback Chub
This species is not fishable.
Humpback Chub distinguished by their pronounced hump behind the head. Greenish back. Silver sides. White belly. Snout overhangs lip.
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Invasive Species
Hybrid Sunfish
This species is not fishable.
Bluegill, green sunfish, pumpkinseed and redear sunfish can all hybridize, so the identifying characteristics of a hybrid sunfish can vary greatly. Generally, hybrids possess a combination of traits from each parental species. A common hybrid is the bluegill X green sunfish cross. This hybrid typically has a large mouth and many similar color patterns of a green sunfish, with the body shape and black opercular flap of a bluegill.
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Invasive Species
Kokanee Salmon
This species is not fishable.
Kokanee Salmon have bluish green back. Bright silver sides. Anal fin has 13 to 17 rays, the base is longer then the base of the dorsal fin.
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Invasive Species
Lake Trout
This species is not fishable.
Lake Trout have dark gray to gray-green on their head, back, top fins and tail. Sides and unpaired fins are spotted in white. Deeply forked tail. Inside of mouth is white.
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Invasive Species
Largemouth Bass
This species is not fishable.
Largemouth Bass, has suggested by their name, have a large, forward-facing mouth. The lower jaw extends to rear margin of eye. Dark green back, greenish sides many times with dark lateral band.
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Researching Colorado Waters
Aquatic Research
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Aquatic Research Section provides a combination of field and laboratory experimentation to answer statewide fisheries management questions and manages aquatic species.
Aquatic Health Lab
The Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory provides in-house support and diagnostic services, including Bacteriology, Molecular testing, Whirling disease testing, Virology and Parasitology.
Aquatic Toxicology Lab
The Aquatic Toxicology Lab conducts experiments that help inform decision makers and managers about pollution and water quality risks.
Hatcheries
CPW operates 19 fish hatcheries, where over 90 million fish per year are bred, hatched, reared and stocked. This includes over 30 different species of fish as well as the boreal toad.