Lake Pueblo is Colorado’s premier warm-water fishery

As an avid angler, I tend to reflect on my recent successful outings when people ask where they should go fishing. However, there is one body of water in Colorado that I rarely hesitate to recommend: Lake Pueblo. Pueblo remains the premier warm-water fishery in Colorado and the recent “high water” years has done nothing but make it better.

Carrie Tucker, an aquatic biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife joined me on my radio show to update us on the state of the fishery in Pueblo. To say she was enthusiastic would be an understatement. The number one draw for anglers at Lake Pueblo is the walleyes. The reservoir is literally full of walleyes and fishing is great. Pueblo does have an 18-inch length limit and you will hear anglers complain “I caught 50 fish today but none of them were keepers.” Carrie said there are plenty of big walleyes in Pueblo, but you have to fish differently to catch them. In fact, during the spawning operation at Pueblo this spring, of the 600 fish taken in the nets, only about six were less than 18 inches and many large fish, up to 31 inches, were spawned and released. The smaller fish tend to be the aggressive males which don’t get as large and when they do exceed 18 inches, they are quickly harvested. Except for a couple times of the year (spring and fall), the big female walleyes tend go deeper, only moving up to feed during twilight or at night. They can be hard to locate but patience and perseverance can pay “big” dividends.

Walleyes are certainly not the only draw for anglers at Lake Pueblo. If not an equal attraction, bass are a close second. The reservoir is home to three species of black bass. Smallmouth bass thrive in Pueblo and tend to do well even during changing conditions. There is a good population of spotted bass but they tend to be a bonus fish. Largemouth bass are always available but they really come on after a few years of high water levels. With current levels extremely high, you will find the largemouth taking advantage of the flooded brush areas in the west end of the reservoir. Another species that does well during high water is crappie. Tucker commented that the crappie fishing is doing extremely well with good numbers and fish up to 16 inches.

Pueblo’s diversity does not end with the walleyes and bass. There is a good population of wipers with fish up to 27 inches. The population is not what it once was but continual stocking is seeing a rebound in numbers of wipers, with a lot of 12-to-15-inch fish. Three species of catfish also provide an underused resource. Pueblo grows big catfish and has recently produced two state records; a 30.5-pound flathead catfish and a 24.5-pound blue catfish. I’ve personally caught channel catfish up to 20 pounds at Pueblo.

Lake Pueblo is a fishing “hot spot,” providing more 4,600 surface acres of water and 60 miles of shoreline . Water recreation includes sailing, motorboating, waterskiing, river tubing and prime fishing. Boaters choose from two full-service marinas and boat ramps.