Colorado Game Fish Records

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This page lists the state records of all major gamefish caught by rod and reel in Colorado, as measured by weight. We also have some information on length records for sport fishing.

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This article was updated in February 2024.

The following are the heaviest game fish caught in the state of Colorado and officially confirmed by Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

Colorado also has a program awarding records by length, although it recently transitioned to a new set of guidelines. See more information about the new program and the previous length records at the bottom of this article.

Colorado Fishing Records

By Weight

Bass, Largemouth
11.38 pounds		Echo Canyon Reservoir,
Archuleta County		Jarrett Edwards,
1997
Bass, Rock
1.08 pounds		Ramah Reservoir,
El Paso County		Timothy Fisk,
1979
Bass, Smallmouth
6.69 pounds		Aurora ReservoirRaymond Ong,
2011
Bass, Spotted
4.492 pounds		Valco Ponds,
Pueblo County		Michael Hardin,
2005
Bass, Striped
29.31 pounds		Arkansas River,
Bent County		Harvey Shade,
2017
Bass, White
4.44 pounds		Blue Lake,
Bent/Kiowa County		Pedro Martinez,
1963
Carp, Common
35.31 pounds		Glenmere Park,
Weld County		Adam Wickam,
2001
Carp, Grass
57.8125 pounds		Cottonwood Park Lake,
Jefferson County		Brian Husmann,
2013
Catfish, Black Bullhead
5.06 pounds		Farm Pond,
Delta County		Uldene Kuretich,
1993
Catfish, Blue
33.53 pounds		Pueblo Reservoir,
Pueblo County		Coy Bowyer,
2023
Catfish, Channel
43.38 pounds		Aurora ReservoirJessica Walton,
2010
Catfish, Flathead
33.85 pounds		John Martin Reservoir
(Spillway)		David Medina,
2023
Char, Arctic
7.48 pounds		Dillon Reservoir,
Summit County		Pete McDonnell,
2023
Crappie, Black
3.48 pounds		Frank State Wildlife AreaFesstus Stalder,
2017
Crappie, White
4 pounds		Northglenn Lake,
Adams County		Daryel Thompson,
1975
Drum, Freshwater
17.1875 pounds		Lonetree Reservoir,
Larimer County		Faye Lancamp,
1978
Eel, American
3.06 pounds		Flagler Reservoir,
Kit Carson County		Juergen Kernel,
1996
Grayling, Arctic
1.63 pounds		Lower Big Creek Lake,
Jackson County		Derik Drinnen,
2002
Muskie, Tiger
40.13 pounds		Quincy ReservoirJason Potter,
1994
Perch, Sacramento
1.875 pounds		Banner Lakes,
Weld County		Dana Wilfong,
1974
Perch, Yellow
2.56 pounds		Seaman Reservoir,
Larimer County		Justin Allbrandt,
2007
Pike, Northern
30.69 pounds		Stagecoach Reservoir,
Routt County		Tim Bone,
2006
Salmon, Chinook
11 pounds		Williams Fork Reservoir,
Grand County		Helen Eaton,
1989
Salmon, Kokanee
(angling)
6.81 pounds		Spinney Mountain Reservoir,
Park County		Will Arduino,
1986
Salmon, Kokanee
(snagging)
7.31 pounds		Blue Mesa Reservoir,
Gunnison County		Lee Cox,
2002
Sauger
3.38 pounds		Horseshoe ReservoirJeff Riddle,
2011
Saugeye
10.88 pounds		John Martin Reservoir,
Bent County		Rocklyn Beise,
2001
Splake
18.94 pounds		Island Lake,
Delta County		Robin Perkins,
1976
Sucker, White
5.42 pounds		Aurora ReservoirJay Grupp,
2011
Sunfish, Bluegill
2.59 pounds		Totten Reservoir,
Montezuma County		Gregory Wallace,
2019
Sunfish, Green (tie)
1.31 pounds		Gravel Pit,
Larimer County		Joshua Robinson,
2001
Sunfish, Green (tie)
1.31 pounds		Big Thompson Pond,
Weld County		Justin Evans,
1997
Sunfish, Hybrid
1.531 pounds		Gravel Pit,
Larimer County		Jeff Robinson,
1986
Sunfish, Redear
1.44 pounds		Stalker Lake,
Yuma County		Parker Erker,
2022
Tench
5.375 pounds		Home Lake,
Rio Grande County		Craig Curtis,
1998
Trout, Brook
8.56 pounds		Waterdog LakeMatt Smiley,
2022
Trout, Brown
30.5 pounds		Roaring Judy Ponds,
Gunnison County		Alan Schneider,
1988
Trout, Cutbow
18.5 pounds		Antero Reservoir,
Park County		Frank Stack,
2007
Trout, Cutthroat
(Native)
16 pounds		Twin Lakes,
Lake County		George Hranchak,
1964
Trout, Cutthroat
(Snake River)
17.16 pounds		Blue RiverRob Peckham,
2005
Trout, Golden
3.75 pounds		Kelly Lake,
Jackson County		Donald O’ Leary,
1979
Trout, Lake
(Mackinaw)
50.35 pounds		Blue Mesa Reservoir,
Gunnison County		Donald Walker,
2007
Trout, Rainbow
19.63 pounds		Morrow Point Reservoir,
Gunnison County		Lee Cox,
2003
Trout, Tiger
8.23 pounds		Upper Dome Lake,
Gunnison County		Anthony Janssen,
2017
Walleye
18.81 pounds		Standley Lake,
Jefferson County		Scott Regan,
1997
Whitefish, Mountain
5.13 pounds		Roaring Fork River,
Eagle County		Richard Sals,
1982
Wiper
(Striped x White Bass)
26.94 pounds		Pueblo ReservoirKevin Treanor,
2004
Source: Colorado Parks & Wildlife

More Fishing Record Information

Colorado’s record game fish by weight must not be cleaned, frozen or otherwise altered before they are weighed on a certified scale and confirmed by a CPW official, among other rules that you’ll find on the Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Records by Weight page.

Note that in January 2020, CPW launched a new length record program that allows anglers to catch, photograph while measuring, and release their record fish.

At last check, only a couple of fish have been approved for inclusion on the new list, so we haven’t yet included those records on this page. To see the first few records and the minimum fish lengths required to land this type of recognition, plus other rules, go to the CPW’s Records by Length page.

The new program replaced an older catch and release program with less stringent rules that the agency said called some records into question. To see the older list, go to the Heritage Master Angler Fish Awards page.