Without a doubt, Colorado is known for an abundance of outdoor recreation. Spring and summer welcomes hikers and anglers to miles of trails and gold-medal status fly fishing streams like the South Platte River near Denver.
The arrival of winter snow that draws skiers from across the country to the countless slopes of the Rockies might seem like the end of fishing season, but the well informed know that some of the best fishing near Denver happens under the ice.
Denver, Colorado is not necessarily first on most people’s list for ice fishing but it still deserves more attention than it gets. Everything from trophy lake trout to chunky walleye can be pulled up through the ice. The hardest part is deciding where to focus your efforts.
To help make your Denver ice fishing trip easier to plan, here are 10 lakes and reservoirs you should not miss:
- Chatfield Reservoir
- Lake Granby
- Twin Lakes Reservoir
- Eleven Mile Reservoir
- Chambers Lake
- Trinidad Lake
- Blue Mesa Reservoir
- Crawford Reservoir
- Rifle Gap Reservoir
- Grass Valley Reservoir
Most locations on this list are within a few hours drive of downtown Denver, so grab your ice fishing gear and get going.
1. Chatfield Reservoir
Location:
A short, 45 minute drive takes you 25 miles south of downtown Denver to the popular ice fishing spot of Chatfield Reservoir. The easiest access is at Chatfield State Park.
Fish Species:
Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish
About the Reservoir:
Chatfield Reservoir is a hot spot among ice fishermen looking for a quick trip from nearby Denver. You might not be alone but the 1,355 acres provides enough area to spread out and find your own prime spot.
Fishing is good all year since the trout and walleye fishery is managed by the CPW as a warm and cold water species lake.
During ice fishing season, this lake is well stocked with rainbow trout that grow to an average of 18 inches or better. Chatfield is also well known for trophy class walleye that commonly push past 24 inches.
Fishing Tips:
Rainbows can be reliably caught with traditional baits. Worms, powerbait and small jig heads tipped with wax worms or nightcrawler are effective.
The trophy walleye in this reservoir are more challenging to catch. Their natural forage prey, gizzard shad, is abundant which makes finding a hungry fish difficult. Live bait rigs or jigging spoons tipped with pieces of shad are known to work well.
2. Lake Granby
Location:
A worthwhile drive,2 hours and 94 miles northwest of Denver near the town of Granby, brings you to Granby Reservoir.
Fish Species:
Trophy Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Kokanee Salmon
About the Reservoir:
Lake Granby’s huge 7,250 acre surface makes up one of the largest cold water reservoirs in Colorado. It has long been know as an ice fishing destination for those seeking huge lake trout (mackinaw). Lakers over 30 inches are not unheard of and recent surveys show 40+ inch fish are possible.
Over 40 miles of accessible shoreline makes it easy to find a spot all to yourself. Lake trout are well distributed in Granby so finding them is less of a challenge. No other lake in Colorado boasts lake trout populations as dense.
Each winter, starting in January, the excellent ice fishing draws over a 1,000 dedicated anglers to brave the cold and compete in the Three-Lakes Ice-Fishing Contest. Along with Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake become part of this annual event.
If catching lunker mackinaw is not your thing, there is a healthy population of rainbow, kokanee and browns to go after.
Fishing Tips:
Lake trout are deep swimmers. You will have the best success in 50 to 80 feet of water. Tube jigs and spoons with a bit of sucker meat on the hook is often effective. A good ice fishing sonar will help you locate likely areas.
Rainbows are best fished along the shoreline where the ice sits over 8 to 15 feet of water. Locate underwater structure at these depths to boost your chances of success. Jigs or shiny spoons tipped with bait, like wax worms, are the lures of choice. Jig aggressively to get the feisty rainbows to bite.
3. Twin Lakes Reservoir
Location:
Only 2 hours and 120 miles southwest of Denver, near the town of Leadville, Twin Lakes is situated at the base of Colorado’s tallest peak, Mt Elbert.
Fish Species:
Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and Snake River Cutthroat. Good potential for large Lake Trout.
About the Reservoir:
Mountain beauty plus excellent ice fishing pretty much equals a must-fish destination at this pair of lakes. The combined 2,700 acres holds good numbers of rainbows and browns with a growing population of trophy sized mackinaw.
Rainbow trout topping out at 20 inches are regularly caught while lakers can reach 40 inches or more. Fishing access is abundant and in February, the town of Leadville hosts an annual ice fishing derby that sees hundreds of anglers take part in the action.
The derby is sponsored by the Leadville Rod and Gun Club and anglers with winning catches get an opportunity to take home some fine hunting and fishing gear as well as cash prizes.
Fishing Tips:
Catching rainbows and browns is likely with traditional baits in 10 to 20 feet of water. Small spoons with pieces of nightcrawler or meal worms produce good catches.
Lake trout are keen on deep water tube jigs with an enticing piece of sucker meat on the hook.
4. Eleven Mile Reservoir
Location:
Head 120 miles south of Denver, on a 2 hour drive to get to this reservoir. While you are down here also check out nearby Spinner Mountain Reservoir for more ice fishing opportunities.
Fish Species:
Good opportunity for large Rainbows. Cutthroats, Kokanee and Northern Pike are also present.
About the Reservoir:
Eleven Mile is a popular destination for anglers targeting the healthy population of plump rainbows. Rainbows averaging 14-20 inches await cold, hardy anglers in the winter.
The 3,400 acre lake reaches depths of 135 feet but focus your time in 8 to 10 feet of water for larger trout and pike. The CPW asks that you harvest all northern pike caught. Pike aggressively feed on stocked trout.
Fishing Tips:
Eleven Mile can turn slow at times but patient anglers are rewarded with fat rainbows. Target shallow water spots using jigs or spoons with some bait. Subtle and more natural presentations often work when the bite seems slow. Try small ice jigs with wax worms or even a bare hook with some bait.
Covering water and drilling lots of holes is often the name of the game until you find a pocket of fish. The east end of the lake is often said to hold more quality trout than the west end.
If pike are in your sights, try tube jigs with some sucker meat. Again, big northerns like to hang out in coves with shallow water while getting ready to spawn. Dead baits on a tip-up are also productive.
5. Chambers Lake
Location:
Chambers Lake is situatednorthwest of Denver off Highway 14. Drive 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the 130 mile drive, access to the lake requires a short hike.
Fish Species:
Rainbow Trout, Kokanee and Lake Trout
About the Reservoir:
Covering only 255 acres, Chambers Lake is one of the smallest lakes on this list. This high elevation, cold water reservoir is a popular destination for ice fishing and is managed primarily for lake trout and kokanee.
Good numbers of lakers are present and average 18 inches or more. The trout in this lake grow slow but the long-lived mackinaw top out at over 35 inches here. Large fish are less common but persistent anglers do get lucky.
Since the lake is higher in elevation than most, ice is often solid well into March. For those not ready to call ice fishing season quits, head over to Chambers for an extended season.
Fishing Tips:
Target lake trout near steep drop-offs with large tube jigs and sucker meat. Find cruising lake trout early and late in the day on the east shore where the shore drops steeply into deep water.
Rainbow trout fishing is usually best at the inlet bay with standard baits. Kokanee prefer small jigs but finding schools for a consistent catch is a challenge.
6. Trinidad Lake
Location:
A 3 hour drive takes you 205 miles south of Denver. A straight shot on Interstate 25 brings you to Trinidad, just shy of the New Mexico border.
Fish Species:
Abundant population of quality Walleye and Saugeye with excellent Rainbow Trout opportunities. Crappie, Perch and Bass are also caught through the ice.
About the Reservoir:
The 800 acre reservoir is located within Trinidad Lake State Park and provides great ice fishing opportunities.
Fishing generally peaks in spring and fall but plenty of quality trout in the 16 inch range are available for winter fishing. The walleye and saugeye are managed for abundant harvest and ice anglers can expect to catch good sized fish.
A recent improvement of perch populations has produced some truly jumbo catches. Perch reaching 13 inches or more is not unheard of.
Fishing Tips:
Big rainbows are catchable on most tackle and bait presentations. Salmon eggs are sometimes the preferred bait early in the season after the ice starts to form.
Big perch are tricky, but a Clam Drop Jig baited with wax worm or nightcrawler pieces is a good option. The lunker perch are best targeted with a dead-stick or a jig-and-sit approach. Find the fish-holding zone and make your presentation subtle if you want to hookup a few jumbos.
7. Blue Mesa Reservoir
Location:
With a 4 hour drive, it is one of the furthest lakes from Denver on this list, but it is well worth the fishing action. You will find this lake 220 miles southwest of Denver near the town of Gunnison.
Fish Species:
Kokanee Salmon, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and some huge trophy Lake Trout
About the Reservoir:
Blue Mesa is a huge reservoir with 9,000 acres of surface area. The large size means that full ice-up takes a stretch of sub-zero temperatures, but several productive spots will ice over by January.
96 miles of shoreline, with plenty of access points, allows for good accessibility on the ice. Elk Creek Marina is often the first good place to get onto the ice but check local reports before heading out.
Once again, lake trout are the true gem of Colorado ice fishing. The density of fish may not be up to par with Lake Granby but some true giants lurk in these depths. 50 pounders are caught each season and ice fishing is the best way to get them.
Other trout species also provide good opportunities. Nice brown trout make frequent appearances through the ice. Rainbow trout and kokanee salmon are also common catches.
Perch populations are on the rise and ice anglers looking to target them can expect decent sized fish.
While Blue Mesa may be a bit far from Denver for a day trip, its close proximity (5 miles) to Gunnison makes an overnight stay an attractive option.
Fishing Tips:
Rainbows and browns can be consistently caught on spoons or soft plastics with some added meal or wax worms. Many anglers find chartreuse colored jigs do the trick when other baits don’t work. Ice covering 10 to 15 feet of water is a good place to start drilling holes.
Once ice moves over the deep water (50+ feet), it is time to go after the big lake trout. 2-5 inch tube jigs in white or pumpkinseed colors work well. Don’t forget to add the piece of sucker meat to convince the fish to really chow down.
Fluctuating water levels can change the lake’s dynamics from one season to the next. Don’t be afraid to move around until you find where the fish are.
8. Crawford Reservoir
Location:
Another long, but worthwhile drive takes you4.5 hours and 245 miles southwest of Denver. This lake is part of Crawford State Park.
Fish Species:
Perch, Crappie, Northern Pike and Rainbow Trout
About the Reservoir:
The nearby Blue Mesa Reservoir often gets all the attention for its excellent ice fishing but the small, 414 acre, Crawford Reservoir is no slouch. Its small size means it stays frozen longer. When Blue Mesa ice gets unsafe later in the season, cold-weather anglers can find refuge on the thicker ice of Crawford.
Crawford Reservoir was once overrun with northern pike that preyed heavily on other game fish species. Recent removal efforts greatly reduced pike numbers and a better balance in the fishery offers excellent opportunity to catch rainbow trout and panfish.
Fishing Tips:
The best trout fishing on Crawford Reservoir occurs under the ice. A good starting point for trout is Peninsula Cove. Use jigs, spoons and other traditional trout baits.
Crappie dominate the east shore near the Clear Fork boat ramp cove. Fair numbers of 8 inch crappie are present. Small tube jigs and worms will get some fish through the ice.
9. Rifle Gap Reservoir
Location:
A little over 3 hours and 184 miles takes you due west of Denver on Interstate 70 to Rifle Gap. Rifle Gap State Park is the main access point for the lake and is open year-round.
Fish Species:
Northern Pike, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Perch and Smallmouth Bass
About the Reservoir:
Another small reservoir, it sits at about 360 acres when full. A popular destination for ice fishing with good thick ice forming in early January and staying late most years.
Rainbows, browns and panfish make up the majority of winter catches. A few good sized northern pike swim beneath the ice and require some patience to catch.
Fishing Tips:
Rainbow trout prefer natural bait presentations or small jigging spoons tipped with mealworms.
Target pike with dead bait and wait for fish to cruise through shallow edges. Panfish can be reliably caught on small tube jigs or worms.
Smallmouth bass are also caught through the ice in areas near the dam and Cedar Campground.
10. Grass Valley Reservoir
Location:
A 3 hour, 182 mile drive takes you west of Denver to Harvey Gap State Park. A fishing trip to Grass Valley also brings you within spitting distance of Rifle Gap Reservoir.
Fish Species:
Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Perch
About the Reservoir:
At 190 acres, it is the smallest lake on the list. Once good ice forms, the boat ramp area yields decent trout numbers. Average size for rainbows varies from year to year but expect 12 inches to be common. 14 inches and larger are a real treat.
Move to deeper areas of the lake to find more perch. It may take some moving around to find productive fishing.
Fishing Tips:
Small jigs with meal worms seem to entice perch to bite under the ice. A slow presentation gets bigger fish to bite. Trout are consistent on spoons or with baited hooks in 10 to 15 feet of water.
A Note on Safety
Ice fishing can be dangerous without proper precautions. Never venture out onto ice without asking a local tackle shop or state park officials for an ice report.
Best practices on the ice include fishing with a buddy and checking the ice for thickness by drilling test hole as you head out. 3-4 inches of solid ice are a minimum for safety.
Always wear a life vest and use common sense. If you are new to ice fishing, check out my beginner’s guide to ice fishing for a lot more detail and advice to help you catch more fish and stay safe.
