Types Of Fish In Colorado

types of fish in colorado

Colorado is blessed with a wide variety of fish species and makes the place a favorite spot for fishers. A few of the most common types of fish in Colorado are discussed here.

BROOK TROUT

Brook trout is a specie of fish that was brought to Colorado in the year 1872 and got populated there after. Brook trout is a dark colored fish with white and red spots on their body.

CUTTHROAT TROUT

Cutthroat trout is the state fish of Colorado and the only trout that is native to the state unlike other trout species. Cutthroat trout fishes are distinguished by the crimson slash on the either side of their throats and below the lower jaw and they got their name from this feature. These fishes are highly reduced in number recently due to invasion by other non-native species and over fishing.

RAINBOW TROUT

Rainbow trout is another trout fish specie that was non-native and introduced to Colorado in the year 1880. These types of fish in Colorado spawn in the spring.

LAKE TROUT

These types of fish in Colorado were introduced in the year 1890 and have a long life span of 20 years. This specie, which is native to Canada and Alaska, spawn in the fall. They have irregular white spots on their body and is usually found in deeper waters. However, they can also be found on shallow waters during fall.

KOKANEE SALMON

Kokanee salmon are the types of fish in Colorado that are actually native to the west coast lakes in North America. These fishes that are introduced to Colorado cannot spawn in the waters of Colorado and are hence repopulated by restocking. They are mostly found in reservoir waters and have the unique feature of changing their color depending on the seasons.

MOUNTAIN WHITE FISH

The fish specie that is native to Yampa and white rivers white rivers where introduced to Colorado in the late 1890s. These types of fish in Colorado spawn in the fall. They are distinguished by their small mouth and this feature makes it difficult to angle them.

BROWN TROUT

Brown trout is a specie that was native to Europe and Western Asia that got introduced to Colorado in 1890. These types of fish in Colorado are brown in color and are identified by their reddish orange spots in blue circles and the black spots. Brown trout fishes spawn in the fall.

LARGE MOUTH BASS

Large mouth bass is a fish specie that is from the sunfish family. These fishes are also known by many other names such as wide mouth, bucket mouth etc.

PANFISH

Pan fish is one among the types of fish in Colorado that grows only to the size that can be fit inside a frying pan and never outgrows that size. This name is very commonly used by the Colorado fishers to mention to other fish species in Colorado that are of the size that can be fitted in a frying pan.