Rainbow Trout The rainbow trout is the most abundantly stocked fish in the state. It is found in almost all the lakes we cover here on the website. Not native to Colorado as most assume, rainbow trout are a West ...
The rainbow trout is the most abundantly stocked fish in the state. It is found in almost all the lakes we cover here on the website. Not native to Colorado as most assume, rainbow trout are a West Coast species first introduced to Colorado in 1882 as a sport fish.
Qualifying length for a Colorado Master Angler Award for Rainbow Trout is 24 inches.
Colorado Released Fish Record for Rainbow Trout is 40.3" Website with More Info...
From the Colorado DOW: These fish were introduced in the 1880s and have become both the angler’s favorite and the mainstay of Colorado’s hatchery system (millions of catchable and subcatchable sized fish are stocked annually). Rainbows can be found in most mountain lakes and streams, as well as many plains reservoirs. Physical characteristics that can help distinguish rainbow trout include dark spots on a light body, continuous spotting throughout the body, and often a “rainbow” horizontal reddish stripe. Rainbow trout may be caught with a variety of flies, baits and lures.
