The lake has flatheads, blues, and channel cats. If you’re into flatheads, this could be your new happy place. Pueblo Reservoir is about 15 minutes west of Pueblo and around two hours south of Denver. The lake also provides good smallmouth fishing and at times can be fast action for planted trout. Target your search near the dam for the best chances.

While the numbers may be lower, the chance of catching a giant is certainly there.Įvenings are the best. State record channel catfish, along with the state record smallmouth bass, have been brought in here. It’s got plenty of big cats in it but fewer smaller, easier-to-catch channel catfish than many locations. Some say it takes a thousand casts to catch a big catfish here, while others have taken trips with five catches and a weight total of over 120 pounds. Located right in Aurora, just minutes from Denver, this lake might become a bit of an ongoing challenge for you. “A-Town”) is known for its giant channel catfish. The catfishing throughout Colorado is good to great, and there are some lakes that are nothing short of epic. Let’s check out the best catfishing lakes in Colorado! Best Catfish Lakes in Colorado The best part of a circle hook is that typically the fish sets the hook themselves. For a blue or a flathead, you’re looking at 4/0 or 6/0 with a wide enough gap for the catfish’s mouth. A size1/0 might be great for 10-pound channels. You can take a gooey, stinky chunk of whatever, wrap it in a bit of gauze or pantyhose, then hook the bait ball to the circle hook.īase the hook size on the fish you’re targeting.

Some anglers swear by using cut-up bluegill where legal, of course.Ĭircle hooks are the go-to for cats, especially ones with any size. Chicken livers, stink baits, mackerel, shrimp, and worms with added scents work well.

Strongly scented baits have proven themselves time and again. It’s been shown that they can spook from shadows, so if you’re fishing in an area that has clearer water or is relatively shallow, be conscious of that. They’ll put your rod through its paces.Ĭatfish have better eyesight than you might’ve heard, contrary to popular belief. The rod needs to have enough backbone for a big channel or maybe a blue or flathead catfish. Let’s dig into what it takes to bring in a giant catfish.įirst of all, there’s no need to buy an entire specialized setup for catfishing unless you are primarily (and seriously) targeting them.Ī 7-foot medium/heavy rod with 20-pound mono or 15-pound braid line to match should work. This article will show you where to find the best catfish fishing in Colorado, and also what it takes to bring them to your net.

We won’t worry here about the smaller and less-prized bullhead catfish, which you can find yourself! Besides the big channel catfish, we’ll also reveal some great spots to catch potentially huge flathead and blue catfish. That’s great for those that chase cats.Ĭatching big catfish is great fun, and Colorado is growing some giants. The state record is over 40 pounds, and it came from a lake in Aurora, so you don’t necessarily have to travel far to find big ones.Ĭatfish tend to get overlooked by anglers in Colorado due to the phenomenal trout fishing. There are several fantastic lakes throughout the state with solid numbers of big cats. The best part is you might land a 45-pound channel cat! Catfishing in Colorado ranges from good to epic.Ĭolorado’s best catfish fishing lakes and rivers will take you through some incredible country.

Does a catfish have a backbone