Yellow Perch in Colorado
Limits, records and special rules for yellow perch.
- No bag limitlimit
- 2 lb 9.6 ozrecord
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What CPW says about Yellow perch
yellow perch belongs to the panfish group on the CPW list, with 2 chart rows in the 2026 chart. Under the west of continental divide line: no bag or possession limit.
CPW lists a 2 lb 9.6 oz fish from Seaman Reservoir (2007) as the weight record. 88 Colorado water pages on this site carry it on their species list. 44 brochure special-regulation entries name it, most of them in La Plata County.
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| Chart row | Zone | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | West of Continental Divide | No bag or possession limit | Open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation says otherwise |
| Yellow Perch | East of Continental Divide | Daily bag 20, possession 20 | 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.
Colorado yellow perch records
Heaviest fish
| Entry | Weight | Length | Angler | Water | County | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 2 lb 9.6 oz | 13.75 in | Justin Allbrandt | Seaman Reservoir | Larimer | 2007 |
Catch-and-release lengths
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 15.25 in | Mason Emery | Long Pond Reservoir | 2025 |
Pre-2020 length awards
| Entry | Length | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Perch | 17 in | Jeff Slatter | North Poudre Reservoir |
A new length record must beat the current one, or 12 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.
yellow perch in the brochure special regulations
| 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. |
| Crawford Reservoir | Delta | Bag, possession limit and min. size for largemouth bass is one fish, 18 inches long. No bag or possession limit for yellow perch. |
| 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. |
| Only 2 may be longer than 16 inches. | Park | No bag or possession limit on yellow perch. |
| 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. |
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.
Methods and bait rules for yellow perch
- 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.
Finding yellow perch in Colorado
Still water holding yellow perch
- Navajo Reservoir15,753 acres
- Blue Mesa Reservoir9,087 acres
- McPhee Reservoir4,289 acres
- Eleven Mile Reservoir3,415 acres
- Pueblo Reservoir3,363 acres
- North Sterling Reservoir2,752 acres
- Jackson Reservoir2,423 acres
- Prewitt Reservoir2,192 acres
- Green Mountain Reservoir2,111 acres
- Spinney Mountain Reservoir2,002 acres
- Horsetooth Reservoir1,824 acres
- Barr Lake1,725 acres
- Neenoshe Reservoir1,660 acres
- Boyd Lake1,575 acres
- Sanchez Reservoir1,457 acres
- Chatfield Reservoir1,355 acres
- Standley Lake1,230 acres
- Carter Reservoir1,122 acres
- Ruedi Reservoir1,037 acres
- Ridgway Reservoir967 acres
- Trinidad Reservoir843 acres
- Nee Gronda Reservoir835 acres
- Aurora Reservoir763 acres
- Union Reservoir751 acres
CPW Boatable Waters and Quality Waters species fields and state record waters; largest waters first.
Close relatives of yellow perch on the Colorado list
- White Crappiepanfish
- Black Crappiepanfish
- Bluegillpanfish
- Hybrid Bluegillpanfish
- Green Sunfishpanfish
- Redear Sunfishpanfish
- Pumpkinseed Sunfishpanfish
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Straight answers on Colorado Yellow perch
Can I keep yellow perch in Colorado?
No bag or possession limit (west of continental divide); special regulations can change it on listed waters.
Who caught the Colorado record yellow perch?
2 lb 9.6 oz from Seaman Reservoir, by Justin Allbrandt in 2007.
Which lakes list yellow perch?
88 water pages here list it, starting with Navajo Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir and McPhee Reservoir.
Are there waters with their own yellow perch limits?
Yes; 44 entries name it, for example From the confluence with Hermosa Creek downstream to the state line: in La Plata County.
How does CPW group yellow perch?
Panfish on the CPW species list; the chart zones that apply are west of continental divide, east of continental divide.
What dates apply to yellow perch?
Colorado waters are open all year, day and night, unless a special regulation closes them; 44 special-regulation entries mention it.
What license does a visiting angler buy to fish for yellow perch here?
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.
How long must a record yellow perch be?
Photograph it on a measuring device with a witness and release it; it must beat the current record, or 12 inches where none exists.