# Trout Size?



## MisterTom (Sep 13, 2018)

Just finished a drive from MI to CA, and I was able to wet a line in a Colorado lake on the way. I haven’t caught a trout in 20 years... had a blast catching them with a Phoebe and then a surface popper once it got dark. Got 5 browns and one rainbow.

They were all around 11 inches - and seemed on the short side to me, but not sure if I’m just used to 20” walleye on the Detroit River. I released them, just in case, though I would’ve liked to cook up a filet or two. Couldn’t find a minimum size in the CO fishing regs. What’s the general size for keeper trout? Hoping I get another chance on the drive back.


----------



## steelyspeed (Apr 10, 2016)

MisterTom said:


> View attachment 577833
> Just finished a drive from MI to CA, and I was able to wet a line in a Colorado lake on the way. I haven’t caught a trout in 20 years... had a blast catching them with a Phoebe and then a surface popper once it got dark. Got 5 browns and one rainbow.
> 
> They were all around 11 inches - and seemed on the short side to me, but not sure if I’m just used to 20” walleye on the Detroit River. I released them, just in case, though I would’ve liked to cook up a filet or two. Couldn’t find a minimum size in the CO fishing regs. What’s the general size for keeper trout? Hoping I get another chance on the drive back.


You will have to find the lake in the fishing regs. Many trout lakes have different harvest regulations as they are planted/managed for different results.


----------



## TroutFishingBear (Aug 31, 2007)

CO is usually 2 trout no size limit, however many gold metal fisheries they are C&R. brookies are usually 4 trout, used to have an extra 4 if they were under 8" but I believe they did away with it. 12-18" trout are keepers in my book, with 14-15" optimal eating size.

I grew up fishing the colorado river in glenwood spgs area, roaring fork river in carbondale and glenwood spgs, and gunnison river below the gorge, black canyon and few miles past delta.

If you try the drive again, and are on I-70 in Colorado, hit exit 111, about 3-5 mi west of glenwood spgs, called "south canyon". Go up to the bridge and fish both sides. you will get 20+ trout most times of the year, most fish in that stretch are cuttbows, (rainbow x cutthroat hybrid), and average about 3-4 lbs., run up to about 15 lbs, but usually 8-10 lb is biggest one lands in a season. some browns as well. Exit 119 "no name" is also excellent; where the creek enters is a dandy hole, guaranteed trout on your first cast if nobody has fished there yet, as long as the river isn't super high chocolate milk. The island just below is also a good run, but the water has to be low enough to wade out to it. Slightly more browns than bows in this area, seen browns up to 12#. Exit 121 is "grizzly creek". Seen browns up to 18lbs caught here, caught em to 11lbs myself. Usually people just fish the run about 1/2 mile below the creek confluence, but I like to walk about 1.5 mile upstream and fish a GIANT deep rocky hole that is full of dandy browns, occasional bow usually smaller. IUsually pull out at least 1, if not 2, 20"+ browns out of that hole. Above exit 121 (ie dotsero, eagle river confluence, etc.) the river gets kind of silty for a while and less productive, even where the eagle flows in it isn't very good, at least for the colorado river, but can still catch a trout or two an hr. You can fish with bait in this whole stretch I mentioned and keep 2 trout/day of any size. Most people will give you dirty look in CO if you keep trout but there is sooo many in the colorado river it is absolutely no issue to keep 2. We used to get 100 trout/day between me, my dad and brother. We would get most of them naturally drifting nightcrawlers on #6 hook with 6 lb test line and couple split shot. Panther martins (#6 usually), jerkbaits, and 1/4 oz 3-4" curly tails also work well. Have got some on spoons like phoeboes and crocodiles but usually stick with the worms or panther martins for most succcess.


If you were using phoeboes and got rainbows/browns, was it dillon reservoir you fished? it has kokanee salmon as well (landlocked sockeye). The blue river beneath it is a tailwater with cuttbows known to appraoch and exceed 20 lbs, and is gold metal. dillon always produces much smaller fish than we would guess by looking at it. I guess this also could be georgetown? Just thinking of fisheries right off I-70, lol.


----------



## TroutFishingBear (Aug 31, 2007)

sad when you have to STEAL your own pics of google/photoshop with a screenshot...

but top picture is my older brother, note the bridge...that is the exit 111...always bows like that there.


bottom pic is the exit 121 grizzly creek hole 1-1.5 mi walk from parking area, always browns like that there. That is me, don't make fun I'm way older, fatter, and have a lot more hair. But notice the interstate above my shoulder, LOL. These are spots hundreds of thousands of people can see from one of the biggest highways in the world, and are the best trout fishing i've ever seen.

not trying to derail the thread, but just hoping to give you guys some ideas to park your car/fish if you through here.

My brother also is a guide in the area and can put you on more and bigger fish than anyone for WAAAY cheaper, so if you want, get a hold of me, and I can get a hold of him for a discount price for you or anyone else. Warning, he talks a lot and can be annoying. but for 300-400 bucks (I'll try to get you 300) he can put you on 30-40 trout in a day no problem.


----------



## MisterTom (Sep 13, 2018)

wow thanks for all that info! its looking like i’m heading up from the south and passing through colorado springs, so won’t be on I70, but definitely marking those spots for the next time.

I was fishing georgetown lake near denver, seemed pretty busy in the day, was even thinking it could be an overfished lake, but at night it was nice and empty (of people - lots of owls and bats tho!). Still amazed they hit those big poppers. There are so many incredible looking lakes and streams, wish I had an entire month to try them all. Thanks again for the info!


----------



## TroutFishingBear (Aug 31, 2007)

MisterTom said:


> wow thanks for all that info! its looking like i’m heading up from the south and passing through colorado springs, so won’t be on I70, but definitely marking those spots for the next time.
> 
> I was fishing georgetown lake near denver, seemed pretty busy in the day, was even thinking it could be an overfished lake, but at night it was nice and empty (of people - lots of owls and bats tho!). Still amazed they hit those big poppers. There are so many incredible looking lakes and streams, wish I had an entire month to try them all. Thanks again for the info!


HA! I knew it was Georgetown. Georgetown is extremely overpopulated with trout, hence the willingness of them to hit anything there.


If you get near spinney mountain reservoir, south platte river, antero reservoir, or elevenmile resevoir, all within an hrish of colorado springs, there are trophy rainbows and browns and cutts...elevenmile and spinney also have HUGE pike, much fatter than most michigan pike since they are fed stocker rainbows.


----------

