Fish Species in Colorado to catch Ice fishing

Below are the many Fish Species you can catch ice fishing in Colorado. There are many species of trout including Rainbow Trout, brown trout, cutthroat, brook trout and Lake trout. You can also catch perch, crappie, pike, Kokanee Salmon largemouth and small mouth bass.
All the Colorado trout species can be found in most High Altitude Lakes in Colorado with rainbows being the most plentiful. The DOW stocks alot of Rainbow trout each year and they can be easily caught from almost any shore line. The rainbow trout can be caught in the upper 20ft of the water column, hanging around points and transition areas. These fish are very active under the ice and are always ready for a quick meal.
Brown trout are usually found near rocky points as well as rock walls and adjacent to deeper water. Brown trout will eat many presentations with dark jigs tipped with meal worms or maggots always working well.
Kokanee Salmon are very tough to locate in many lakes because Kokanee salmon are always moving in schools around the lake. Kokanee salmon can be found in the upper 15ft of the water column. A jigging machine with flashers is the best way to attract them. When fishing near the the jigging machine, use anything pink, as well as silver spoons tipped with wax worms, or white corn. jig your baits erradically when fish are near.
Perch can be found in most lakes throughout Colorado. The bottom is best palce to find these fish and Harvey Gap State Park and Rifle Gap State Park are the most productive lakes for perch. Fish using Genz bugs tipped with maggots. Find a muddy flat and start jigging within inches of the bottom. If you don't get any bites, move 20 ft. Start in 25fow and move around to 40fow and keep working until you find a school! You won't go far before you get a bite!
Crappie and can be found suspended over the perch in Harvey Gap all day long. Crappie bite the usual jigs rigged traditionally for crappie, tipped with wax worms or maggots. They will come in slow to inspect your baits, so always try to move the baits away from them. When Ice fishing in crappie areas, the action will most likely attract Bass. This fish species will come in slow and hit hard. Be ready to set the hook and loosen you drag as the bass will make a few good runs before they submit! If this seems like a lot to digest, try fishing with a Guide or email us and ask a few questions.

Types of Trout in Colorado- PICTURES ARE COMING SOON- 12/1/2012:

Brown Trout: The spotting pattern is composed of black spots and also red orange spots surrounded by light blue.
Lake Trout: The fish has a white, irregular spotting pattern on a dark background with veriform marking over the back and head. Unlike other trout, they have a deeply indented tail fin.
Cutthroat Trout (Native): Cutthroat have a crimson slash on either side of the throat beneath the lower jaws.
Brook Trout: The pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are often orange, edged with black & white. The body is dark with read spots and surrounded by blue and white spots.
Rainbow Trout: Identifying Marks are the black spots on a light body and a red stripe along the sides of a fish.
Kokanee Salmon: At the end of their third summer, females develop a red/grey/white pattern while males develop hook jaw and turn brick red.

Other Types of Fish in Colorado:

Yellow Perch: Yellow and green stripes with a tall dorsal fin and a low, round head.
Northern Pike: The fish long flat nose with a spotting pattern on a dark background with veriform marking over the back and head. Pike also have a large set of sharp teeth.
Bluegill: Bluegill are smaller, round fish with a blunt forehead, tight lower jaw and many times have a black spot which is an addition to their gill plate.
Black/White Crappie: Roundish body with am oval dorsal fin. The body color is a silver background with purple or black spots. They have a soft bucket like mouth.
Largemouth Bass: Green body with black markings, a bucket-like mouth and taller shoulders.
Smallmouth Bass: Very similar to the large mouth except with a more stream line body shape, brown markings and a smaller mouth.
Walleye: Yellow body coloring with a longer stream-like body shape. Also has very sharp front teeth with a head similar to the perch. (both are part of the drum family).
White Fish: Round body with a very tiny mouth and a boney, bullet shaped head. They have big shoulders and large scales.
Sucker (multiple species): Most have mouths that face down with long bodies that give way tp a tall tail fin. Very boney heads with soft skin and small scales.

Thankyou for visiting the Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Fish Species page for Colorado. Come and catch trophy Perch, Pike, Trout, Lake Trout, and Kokanee Salmon with Blue Mesa Ice Fishing Guide Service!