Bluegill in Colorado
Where bluegill swim in Colorado, and what to keep.
- 20 a daylimit
- 2 lb 9.5 ozrecord
Pick for bluegillPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the species, not a Colorado water: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Public domain
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Bluegill across Colorado: rules and records
On the CPW chart bluegill counts as panfish, and 1 chart row apply to it. Across waters statewide, the limit is daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate.
A 2 lb 9.5 oz catch at Totten Reservoir in 2019 tops the weight table. It shows up on 113 of the lake and stream pages below. Its name appears in 38 special-regulation entries; La Plata County has the most.
For the bluegill herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The 2026 chart rows for bluegill
| Chart row | Zone | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill, Hybrid Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish | Statewide | Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (Colorado Parks and Wildlife), p. 10, retrieved October 25, 2026; the chart applies on every water not listed in the special regulations.
The bluegill marks to beat in Colorado
Certified weights
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 2 lb 9.5 oz | 12.75 in | Gregory Wallace | Totten Reservoir | Montezuma | 2019 |
Longest released fish
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.5 in | Joseph Yang | Big Thompson Outfitter Lake | 2025 |
Heritage Master Angler lengths
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 13.5 in | Johnathan Lambert | Sawhill Ponds |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 10 inches where no record exists (the Master Angler qualifying length).
CPW Fishing Awards and Records and the 2026 brochure pages 6 and 7, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Local rules on bluegill
| Water and section | County | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| From the confluence with Hermosa Creek downstream to the state line: | La Plata | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Williams Fork River downstream to the state line: | Garfield | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Williams Fork River downstream to the state line: | Eagle | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Williams Fork River downstream to the state line: | Grand | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Williams Fork River downstream to the state line: | Mesa | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From McPhee Dam downstream to the state line: | Dolores | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From McPhee Dam downstream to the state line: | Mesa | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From McPhee Dam downstream to the state line: | Montezuma | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From McPhee Dam downstream to the state line: | Montrose | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the I-70 Exit 147 bridge in Eagle downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River: | Eagle | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the U.S. 160 bridge east of Durango downstream to the confluence with the Animas River: | La Plata | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| Green River | Moffat | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Smith Fork downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River: | Delta | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
| From the confluence with the Smith Fork downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River: | Gunnison | No bag or possession limit for channel catfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, green sunfish, bluegill, bullhead, yellow perch or crappie. |
Special regulations as printed in the 2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (CPW, season March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), pp. 11 to 39, checked against CPW Chapter W-1 (as approved 13 November 2025); retrieved October 2026.
Rules beyond the chart for bluegill
- b. Crustaceans: The following crustaceans may be possessed east of the Continental Divide: virile crayfish, waternymph crayfish, calico crayfish, ringed crayfish and Southern Plains crayfish. The following crustaceans may be possessed on either side of the Continental Divide: freshwater shrimp …p. 8
- e. The only species allowed to be taken and used for personal use as bait (either alive or dead) by fishing, seining, netting, trapping or dipping are minnows, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, carp, sunfish, gizzard shad, sculpin, white and longnose suckers, yellow perch and rainbow smelt. Statewide bag …p. 9
2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (Colorado Parks and Wildlife),, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Lakes and streams with bluegill in their species lists
Lake pages naming bluegill
- Navajo Reservoir15,753 acres
- John Martin Reservoir11,712 acres
- Meredith Reservoir5,114 acres
- McPhee Reservoir4,289 acres
- Pueblo Reservoir3,363 acres
- North Sterling Reservoir2,752 acres
- Jackson Reservoir2,423 acres
- Prewitt Reservoir2,192 acres
- Green Mountain Reservoir2,111 acres
- Horsetooth Reservoir1,824 acres
- Boyd Lake1,575 acres
- Jumbo Reservoir1,411 acres
- Chatfield Reservoir1,355 acres
- Standley Lake1,230 acres
- Henry Lake1,189 acres
- Carter Reservoir1,122 acres
- Cherry Creek Reservoir881 acres
- Trinidad Reservoir843 acres
- Aurora Reservoir763 acres
- Union Reservoir751 acres
- Elkhead Reservoir706 acres
- Boulder City Reservoir531 acres
- Boedecker Reservoir376 acres
- Summit Reservoir279 acres
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
More bluegill neighbors on the species list
- White Crappiepanfish
- Black Crappiepanfish
- Hybrid Bluegillpanfish
- Green Sunfishpanfish
- Redear Sunfishpanfish
- Pumpkinseed Sunfishpanfish
- Yellow Perchpanfish
Photo views of fishing water near Bluegill
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency, Public domain
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What CPW says about Bluegill, in Q and A
How many bluegill fit in a legal Colorado day?
Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
When was the Colorado bluegill record set?
2 lb 9.5 oz from Totten Reservoir, by Gregory Wallace in 2019.
What Colorado water is a good bet for bluegill?
113 water pages here list it, starting with Navajo Reservoir, John Martin Reservoir and Meredith Reservoir.
Where do the bluegill rules differ from the chart?
Yes; 38 entries name it, for example From the confluence with Hermosa Creek downstream to the state line: in La Plata County.
What kind of fish is bluegill for CPW?
Panfish on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide.
When is bluegill season open in Colorado?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 38 special-regulation entries mention it.
Does Colorado sell a special stamp for bluegill?
Everyone 16 and older needs a CPW fishing license: $44.87 a year for adult residents, $124.01 for nonresidents, or $18.07 for a resident one-day license.
Is there a catch-and-release record for bluegill?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 10 inches where none exists.
Pick water for bluegill
Open any water above for its ramps, species and Colorado limits.