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Best channel catfish lakes in Colorado

22 Colorado waters hold channel catfish. 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. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Meredith Reservoir — 6 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie
2. John Martin Reservoir — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
3. Prewitt Reservoir — 25 ft max · Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
4. Chatfield Reservoir — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
5. Pueblo Reservoir — 135 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
6. Boyd Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
7. Trinidad Reservoir — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye
8. Standley Lake — 96 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
9. Henry Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Saugeye, Crappie
10. Banner Lakes #11 — 26 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
11. Union Reservoir — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
12. Boulder City Reservoir — 20 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Ryan Pond, West — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
14. Arvada Reservoir — 60 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
15. Mack Mesa Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
16. Brush Hollow Reservoir — 45 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
17. Lon Hagler Reservoir — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
18. Milavec Reservoir — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
19. Jim Baker Reservoir — 24 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
20. Waneka Lake — 13 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Saugeye, Crappie, Bluegill
21. Berkeley Lake — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
22. Rocky Mtn Lake — 25 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish channel catfish in Colorado

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in Colorado: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best saugeye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill 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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