Walleye in Colorado
Colorado rules and lakes for walleye.
- 5 a daylimit
- 18 lb 12.6 ozrecord
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Colorado Walleye at a glance
The 2026 brochure treats walleye as a game fish species with 2 chart rows on its limits chart. The waters statewide row allows daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate.
Colorado’s heaviest on record weighed 18 lb 12.6 oz, caught at Standley Lake in 1997. CPW Boatable Waters lists name it on 57 lake and stream pages here. Special regulations in 69 places cover it, with Jefferson County on top.
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| Chart row | Zone | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye, Saugeye, Sauger | Statewide | Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Walleye, Saugeye, Sauger | Arkansas and South Fork of Republican River drainages | Daily bag 10, possession 10, 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.
walleye and the state record list
Weighed records
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 18 lb 12.6 oz | 34 in | Scott Regan | Standley Lake | Jefferson | 1997 |
By length, released
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 32.25 in | Charles Bennett | Chatfield Reservoir | 2026 |
Master Angler history
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 38 in | Sara Slagle | Private Lake – Weld County |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 26 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.
Where walleye rules differ from the chart
| 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. |
| Within the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area: | Chaffee | Bag, possession and min. size for walleye and saugeye is 5 in the aggregate, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. |
| Within the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area: | Fremont | Bag, possession and min. size for walleye and saugeye is 5 in the aggregate, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. |
| Within the Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area: | Pueblo | Bag, possession and min. size for walleye and saugeye is 5 in the aggregate, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. |
| Aurora (Senac) Reservoir | Arapahoe | Bag and possession limit for trout is 2. Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Min. size for walleye is 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be … |
| Barr Lake | Adams | Min. size for walleye and saugeye is 15 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. |
| Bear Creek Reservoir | Jefferson | Min. size for walleye and saugeye is 15 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. |
| Boyd Lake | Larimer | Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Min. size for white bass is 10 inches long. Min. size for walleye and saugeye is 15 inches long. Only 1 walleye or saugeye in the aggregate longer than 21 … |
| Carter Lake | Larimer | All walleye exceeding 21 inches must be returned to water immediately. Daily bag limit for walleye is 3 fish less than 21 inches long. It is unlawful to possess filleted or cleaned fish in boat on lake. |
| Within Chatfield State Park, including the South Platte River and all ponds within the park boundary: | Douglas | Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Bag and min. size for walleye is 3, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. Fishing prohibited from dam and within 100 … |
| Within Chatfield State Park, including the South Platte River and all ponds within the park boundary: | Jefferson | Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Bag and min. size for walleye is 3, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. Fishing prohibited from dam and within 100 … |
| Cherry Creek Reservoir | Arapahoe | Min. size for largemouth and smallmouth bass is 15 inches long. Bag and min. size for walleye is 3, 18 inches long. Only 1 walleye longer than 21 inches may be taken per day. Fishing prohibited from dam and within 100 … |
| 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. |
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.
What else the brochure says about walleye
- 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 walleye
Colorado lakes for walleye
- John Martin Reservoir11,712 acres
- Meredith Reservoir5,114 acres
- McPhee Reservoir4,289 acres
- Pueblo Reservoir3,363 acres
- Dillon Reservoir3,345 acres
- North Sterling Reservoir2,752 acres
- Vallecito Reservoir2,472 acres
- Jackson Reservoir2,423 acres
- Prewitt Reservoir2,192 acres
- Horsetooth Reservoir1,824 acres
- Barr Lake1,725 acres
- Neenoshe Reservoir1,660 acres
- Boyd Lake1,575 acres
- Wolford Mountain Reservoir1,548 acres
- Sanchez Reservoir1,457 acres
- Jumbo Reservoir1,411 acres
- Chatfield Reservoir1,355 acres
- Shadow Mountain Reservoir1,338 acres
- Standley Lake1,230 acres
- Henry Lake1,189 acres
- Carter Reservoir1,122 acres
- Cherry Creek Reservoir881 acres
- Trinidad Reservoir843 acres
- Nee Gronda Reservoir835 acres
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
A camera tour of the water by Walleye
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
Chasing Walleye from the plains to the high country
What may a Colorado angler take home in walleye?
Daily bag 5, possession 5, in aggregate (statewide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
Where was the record walleye caught in Colorado?
18 lb 12.6 oz from Standley Lake, by Scott Regan in 1997.
Where do walleye live in Colorado?
57 water pages here list it, starting with John Martin Reservoir, Meredith Reservoir and McPhee Reservoir.
Do special regulations change the walleye rules?
Yes; 69 entries name it, for example From the confluence with Hermosa Creek downstream to the state line: in La Plata County.
What group is walleye in?
Game fish on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are statewide, arkansas and south fork of republican river drainages.
Does Colorado close walleye fishing?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 69 special-regulation entries mention it.
Which license should a walleye 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 walleye for a record?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 26 inches where none exists.
Target walleye this season
Each lake and stream in the lists links to its own Colorado page.