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Best bluegill lakes in Colorado

26 Colorado waters hold bluegill. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. McPhee Reservoir — 262 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
2. Meredith Reservoir — 6 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie
3. Horsetooth Reservoir — 188 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. John Martin Reservoir — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
5. Prewitt Reservoir — 25 ft max · Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
6. Chatfield Reservoir — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
7. Pueblo Reservoir — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
8. Boyd Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
9. Trinidad Reservoir — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye
10. Carter Lake — 180 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout
11. Standley Lake — 96 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
12. Henry Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie
13. Banner Lakes #11 — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
14. Union Reservoir — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
15. Boulder City Reservoir — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
16. Ryan Pond, West — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
17. Mack Mesa Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
18. Windsor Reservoir — 32 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout
19. Lon Hagler Reservoir — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
20. Juniata Reservoir — 6 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
21. Milavec Reservoir — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
22. Jim Baker Reservoir — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
23. Waneka Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
24. Berkeley Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
25. Rocky Mtn Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

…plus 1 more Colorado waters holding bluegill.

When to fish bluegill in Colorado

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Colorado: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best saugeye lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best splake lakes

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