Fishing in Colorado
Walleye, saugeye, and sauger fishing in Colorado
The shared statewide limit, the eastern drainage exception, named-water size rules, identification, and ordinary fishing methods.
The shared limit
Walleye, saugeye, and sauger count together
Most of Colorado
The statewide default is five total in a day and five in possession across all three fish. It is not five of each.
Two eastern drainages
The default is 10 total in the Arkansas River and South Fork Republican River drainages. Use the brochure map rather than guessing from a county line.
Possession includes stored fish
Fish in the field, in transit, at home, frozen, smoked, canned, or otherwise stored count until they are eaten.
The exact water
Reservoir rules often add a size check
Minimum length
Some named waters require a walleye or saugeye to reach a listed length before it may be kept.
One large fish
A water may allow only one fish over a stated length inside the daily total.
A smaller local limit
The named-water listing can be stricter than the statewide chart. Follow the more specific rule.
Before keeping one
Identify the fish and check the method
Walleye clue
CPW points to a white spot on the lower tail lobe and a dark spot at the base of the last three spines in the first dorsal fin as useful walleye clues.
One line is the default
The ordinary rule is one personally attended line with no more than three common hooks. A second-rod stamp allows one additional rod, hand line, or tip-up.
Bait depends on the water
Bait may be used where permitted, but a named water can require artificial flies or lures and can add other tackle rules.
Take this with you
Before you keep a walleye, saugeye, or sauger
- ✓ You know whether the water is in one of the two higher-limit drainages.
- ✓ You searched the exact water for a size, count, or one-large-fish rule.
- ✓ You can identify the fish and count all three species together.
- ✓ Your lines, hooks, bait, and stored catch fit the current rules.
Official sources and review
Check the current rule before you act
These links go to the agencies that control this part of the trip. Use the exact page, license, listing, map, order, or confirmation for your situation.
Use this carefully: The five-fish and 10-fish totals are statewide drainage defaults. Named waters can set different limits and sizes. Check the current brochure before keeping a fish.
Keep going
More about fishing in Colorado
Trout fishing
The statewide trout limit, named-water exceptions, brook trout, protected cutthroat, legal lines, and the rules to check before keeping a fish.
Kokanee and snagging
Ordinary kokanee angling, the narrow snagging exception, statewide limits, fish identification, and the named-water rules that control the season.
Northern pike and tiger muskie
The very different statewide limits, fish identification, legal methods, named-water rules, and live-fish restrictions.
Bass, catfish, and panfish
Statewide warm-water limits, shared species groups, western and eastern exceptions, named-water sizes, and fish identification.
Bait and live bait
Where ordinary bait is allowed, why chumming is illegal, and how elevation, the Continental Divide, source water, and receipts affect live baitfish.
Ice fishing
Fishing licenses, tip-ups, second rods, hole size, shelters, fires, exact-water rules, and a calm check on changing ice.
Licenses and limits
Who should check for a Colorado fishing license, how statewide limits work, and why the exact water listing matters before you keep a fish.
Where to fish
How to use the CPW Fishing Atlas, find public access, and check the bank, streambed, parking, and land-manager rules for a Colorado fishing spot.
Rules for the exact water
How to read Colorado's special fishing regulations for a named lake or river stretch, including methods, closures, limits, and release rules.
Boats and Clean, Drain, Dry
The Colorado checks for boat registration, aquatic nuisance species stamps, inspections, launches, and cleaning gear between waters.