A diverse range of fish await anglers at Horsetooth Reservoir. Catches here include trout, walleye, splake, white bass, perch, bluegill, and crappie. For the most successful fishing, try using lures such as plastic tubes, cranks, jigs, spinners, and worms. Horsetooth Reservoir is ranked as one of Colorado’s top places to fish.
The reservoir has nearly 20 miles of shoreline, perfect for shore fishing during the spring and summer months. It is wide and shallow, scattered with coves filled with smallmouth bass. When fishing from the shore, it’s best to try your lures at different depths from various places along the water. Many rocky outcroppings make perfect fishing spots along the reservoir. Fishing from the dams and ice fishing is not allowed.
There is a 5 catch limit for walleye, smallmouth, and largemouth bass. You can take up to 10 white or striped bass and wipers and up to 20 bluegills, crappies, and sunfish. You may only take 4 trout from the reservoir per day. It is strictly catch and release for all small and largemouth bass under 12” long.
Grub and jerk baits, crawfish cranks, and rooster tail spinners are the best lure and bait options for smallmouth bass in the reservoir. You can also try brown wooly buggers and half-back nymphs to catch these fish while fly fishing. Walleye react well to cranks, jerks, spoons, live bait, plastic worms and grubs, spoons, ned rigs, and small spinnerbaits.
To catch trout, try crankbaits or crawfish cranks, or use elk wing and peacock caddis, bucktail wooly buggers, and nymphs for fly fishing. Live minnows, worms, grubs, and insects work well for panfish like Bluegills and crappies.
Horsetooth Reservoir Fish:
Horsetooth Reservoir boat ramps:
The following boat ramps provide access to Horsetooth Reservoir.
