Pumpkinseed Sunfish in Colorado
Colorado rules and lakes for pumpkinseed sunfish.
- 20 a daylimit
Pick for sunfishPiscifun 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
.jpg){kind=link}
Colorado Pumpkinseed sunfish at a glance
The 2026 brochure treats pumpkinseed sunfish as a panfish species with 1 chart row on its limits chart. The waters statewide row allows daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate.
CPW Boatable Waters lists name it on 4 lake and stream pages here.
For the sunfish herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 How many pumpkinseed sunfish a Colorado angler may keep
| 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.
pumpkinseed sunfish and the state record list
By length, released
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed Sunfish | water not printed |
Master Angler history
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkinseed Sunfish | 10.75 in | Joey Slagle | Standley Lake |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 8 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.
What else the brochure says about pumpkinseed sunfish
- 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
2026 Colorado Fishing brochure (Colorado Parks and Wildlife),, retrieved October 25, 2026.
Colorado water that holds pumpkinseed sunfish
Colorado lakes for pumpkinseed sunfish
- Standley Lake1,230 acres
- Dixon Reservoir44 acres
- Ketner Lake23 acres
- Sheldon Lake14 acres
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
Same CPW group as pumpkinseed sunfish
- White Crappiepanfish
- Black Crappiepanfish
- Bluegillpanfish
- Hybrid Bluegillpanfish
- Green Sunfishpanfish
- Redear Sunfishpanfish
- Yellow Perchpanfish
A camera tour of the water by Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: NEIPerite, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chasing Pumpkinseed sunfish from the plains to the high country
What may a Colorado angler take home in pumpkinseed sunfish?
Daily bag 20, possession 20, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
Where was the record pumpkinseed sunfish caught in Colorado?
No weight record; the length record is from a water not printed (year not printed).
Where do pumpkinseed sunfish live in Colorado?
4 water pages here list it, starting with Standley Lake, Dixon Reservoir and Ketner Lake.
Do special regulations change the pumpkinseed sunfish rules?
No special-regulation entry names it, so the statewide chart applies unless a water closes or limits all fishing.
What group is pumpkinseed sunfish in?
Panfish on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide.
Does Colorado close pumpkinseed sunfish fishing?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; no entry names it.
Which license should a pumpkinseed sunfish angler buy?
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.
Can I enter a released pumpkinseed sunfish for a record?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 8 inches where none exists.
Target pumpkinseed sunfish this season
Each lake and stream in the lists links to its own Colorado page.