Learn to Fish

Looking to learn to fish, or know someone who is? Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s angling outreach programs offer clinics, seminars, advice, in-field experiences and educational materials for people of all ages and abilities. Looking to learn to fish, or know someone who is? Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s angling outreach programs offer clinics, seminars, advice, in-field experiences and educational materials for people of all ages and abilities.
A CPW employee poses with fishing clinic posters, rods and other supplies.
A CPW employee poses with fishing clinic posters, rods and other supplies.

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Three anglers fish off a pier at Yampa River State Park.

Three anglers fish off a pier at Yampa River State Park.

Fishing Basics

Purchase a Fishing License

Anyone aged 16 and older will need a fishing license.

An angler leans over to choose a fishing rod.

Fishing Basics

Pick Your Rod and Reel

A closed-face spincast rod and reel are great for learning how to fish.

Choose Your Bait

Different species of fish have different appetites. Choose your bait based on what kind of fish are in the water and what you are trying to catch. Look at the list of waters in the Fishing brochure for any additional bait restrictions.

Trout bait.

Trout

Flies, Lures, Salmon eggs, Jigs, Worms

Sunfish and Crappie bait.

Sunfish and Crappie

Jigs, Worms, Mealworms, Salmon eggs

Catfish bait.

Catfish

Stink bait, Worms, Hot dogs, Chicken livers

Bass fish bait.

Bass

Jigs, Worms, Lures, Soft baits

An angler adds bait to a hook with his fishing gear and tackle box laid out.

Fishing Basics

Get Your Gear

You need just a few basic items to get started fishing:

  • Fishing line, 4 to 8 pounds
  • Hemostats or needle-nose pliers; These help you dislodge hooks and grip line while tying knots. 
  • Sinkers, 1/8 oz
  • Bobbers
  • Hooks, No. 8 or No. 10
  • Swivels, No. 10: Swivels keep your line from twisting.

Know Your Knots

There are lots of fishing knots. The Improved Clinch Knot is a good, basic knot to get you started.

How to tie a clinch knot. Illustration by Wayne D. Lewis/CPW.

Tippet to fly — clinch knot. Illustration by Wayne D. Lewis/CPW.

  1. Thread the line through eye of the hook. Double back and make five or more turns around the line.
  2. Bring the end of line back through the first loop formed behind the eye. Then go through the big loop.
  3. Wet knot and pull the tag end to tighten down the coils. Slide it tight against the eye, clip excess line.

Fishing Locations

Where should you go? CPW offer accessible fishing location, fishing at state parks and state wild areas. The Colorado fishing atlas is also a handy tool for searching for fishing opportunities by species, specific interest or proximity to your home or destination.

Accessible fishing spots.

Accessible Fishing Spots

Accessible fishing spots around the state include 37 state parks as well as other locations around the states and include accessible fishing piers, paved trails, restrooms, docks, depending on the location.

Find an Accessible Fishing Spot
Fishing at State Parks

Fishing at State Parks

20 state parks offer lake, pond, stream, or river fishing within the park.

Find a State park
Bodies of Water.

Bodies of Water

Browse waters or search by water type. The Bodies of Waters list includes CPW Quality Waters, a new category of fishable waters that our talented team of fish management biologists identified and nominated based on their fish sampling records, creel surveys, and professional biological assessments

Find out more
State Wildlife Area finder.

State Wildlife Areas

State wildlife areas (SWAs) are state or privately owned lands that offer state-managed, wildlife-related recreation to the public. Over 190 SWAs offer fishing.

Find an SWA
Fishing Atlas.

Colorado Fishing Atlas

The Colorado Fishing Atlas, the latest interactive mapping tool offered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, allows users to search for fishing opportunities by species, specific interest or proximity to your home or destination.

Visit the Fishing Altas

Reel it in and Pack it Up

To maintain good fishing, the state regulates the number of fish you can keep and have in your possession. Check the current Fishing brochure below for bag limits and other regulations. Remember a net, ice and a cooler for keeping your catch.

 young angler with fish

Bait Fishing

This popular angling method uses a bait fishing rig and a fishing hook.

An angler standing next to his boat holding a long handled net.

Use a Net

Fish are slippery. Drop the fish into the net after you reel it in.

A woman leaning on a cooler.

Bring a Cooler

Bring a cooler with ice to store your fish in. If left out, the fish may spoil.

Increase Your Fishing Skills

 young angler with fish

Bait Fishing

This popular angling method uses a bait fishing rig and a fishing hook.

 Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing

This popular angling method that involves using a lightweight artificial fly to catch fish.

 ice fishing

Ice Fishing

This winter activity that involves drilling a hole in the ice and dropping a fishing line through it in order to catch fish.

Colorado Fishing Brochure

Colorado Fishing Broch​​ure

Colorado Fishing Broch​​ure

The online Fishing brochure is the most up-to-date version.​​​

Download the Brochure
Pesca en Colorado​.

Pesca en Colorado​ (En Español)​​​​​​​

El folleto de Pesca en línea es la versión más actualizada.

Descargue el Folleto