Trinidad Lake, Trinidad Colorado - Trinidad Lake is rated good for both saugeye and trout fishing. Water levels change frequently so check current conditions before setting out.
Trinidad Lake, near the southern border of Colorado, provides excellent fishing and recreation opportunities. With water levels fluctuating often, boaters are warned to watch for unknown obstacles in the water. There is plenty of camping and hiking trails in the area. For the fisherman, Trinidad offers good fishing for saugeye and trout.
The following is from the Colorado Division of Wildlife Sportfishing Notes:
Walleye/Saugeye Walleye and saugeye are managed in Trinidad high catch rates and relatively liberal harvest. Best fishing for walleye and saugeye will start in May and run into the early fall. Fish can be found in all locations in the reservoir.
Trout The trout fishery in Trinidad is a mixture of “put and take” and “put and grow” management strategies. Catch rates for trout are very high in the reservoir and quality of fish is pretty good with fish in the 14 to 18 inch range being pretty common. Trout are caught in all locations in the lake.
Other Species Trinidad produces some good catches of other species to include channel catfish, large-mouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, yellow perch and wipers.
2009 Walleye/Saugeye Forecast Walleye and saugeye numbers appear to be declining significantly on the basis of the gillnet sample, but angler reports dispute this data. The gillnet had a very poor catch in 2009 for whatever reason and it is very likely that the real picture is that walleye and saugeye numbers are very high. We do appear to be seeing a decline in growth rates and fish condition in the reservoir. This is likely due to two extremely good stocking years and the protection of the smaller fish with the size limit. Some adjustments will need to be made to rectify this situation. Anglers can expect to have high catch rates of walleye/saugeye from May through August, but possibly lots of fish below the legal limit of 15 inches. There is a fish consumption advisory posted on the reservoir for walleye and saugeye due to mercury contamination.
2009 Catfish Forecast Channel catfish numbers in Trinidad appear to be fairly stable and quality of fish is increasing. Trinidad catfish appear to cycle up and down over the years depending on stocking and water. Many of the catfish currently in Trinidad are over 20 inches in length. A few anglers seriously chase catfish at Trinidad, but most of the catfish are a result of incidental catch by anglers fishing for other species. Anglers who desire to catch catfish can do very well at Trinidad with traditional methods.
2009 Bass forecast Trinidad has two species of bass to include large-mouth and smallmouth bass. The table on the right includes both species. The data represents electrofishing samples from 2006 and 2007. No sample was completed in 2008. Bass numbers in Trinidad are pretty good with the highest densities being smallmouth followed by largemouth. Many of the bass are below the minimum 15 inch length limit, but some very good quality bass are taken each year. Bass are available to anglers year round with almost all bass fishing techniques.
2009 Trout Forecast Trinidad is stocked heavily with “catchable” trout each year and angling for these fish is very good during all open water periods. Some of these fish grow very well and trout in the 14-18 inch range are common. In some cases, trout in the 22-25 inch range have showed up in the catch. Anglers catch trout from the shore with either bait or lures and also from boats trolling.
2009 Forecast for Additional Species Trinidad Reservoir also has fishable populations of bluegill, black crappie, wiper and yellow perch. Bluegill and crappie occur at low levels and vary greatly from year to year. Wiper occur at moderate numbers, but are difficult to catch. There are some very nice quality fish to around 10 pounds in the population and anglers have been successful in the past using chicken livers as bait. The yellow perch fishery has been improving over the last few years and anglers have seen some pretty impressive yellow perch catches in the reservoir. It is not uncommon to see yellow perch in the 12 to 14 inch range.
CDOW 2008 Forecast: Trinidad Reservoir should have much improved water levels in 2008, and fishing is expected to be good. The angler surveys completed in 2007 showed lower fishing use on the reservoir and higher catch rates – indicating a prime fishing target for anglers willing to make the drive down to Trinidad. The lake boasts good numbers of walleye, saugeye, wiper, catfish trout and yellow perch. Walleye and saugeye numbers are very good in the reservoir, but there are still a lot of fish in the younger year classes. Anglers likely catch mostly sub-legal (less than 15”) walleye and saugeye, but will still find some legal fish over 15 inches in length. Best times for walleye and saugeye are the months of June and July. Wiper numbers are still improving, and will provide some reasonable fishing this year. Catfish numbers are also improving and fair numbers of 2-4 pound fish should be available. The trout fishery will remain very good with lots of catchable fish being stocked along with good number of holdover fish in the 16 to 20 inch range. Yellow perch are abundant in the reservoir and will provide good catch rates and some quality fish. Testing has determined that mercury levels in some sizes of walleye and saugeye in the reservoir exceed the State’s human health standard. Please see the fish consumption advisory posted at the reservoir or refer to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website
Getting there: From I-25 take CO 12 in Trinidad three miles west to the lake. Fees: Daily Pass: $6 year-round Colorado State Parks Pass Boating: All Boats Allowed. All boaters must observe wakeless speeds around the boat launch area, within 150 feet of shore fishermen and as buoyed. Boats are not allowed around the outlet structure or as buoyed. Ice Fishing: Ice fishing is allowed, but ice conditions are extremely variable
