Fishing Report For Carter Lake, CO

By Rick Seaman

June 5, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Carter Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Boat Launch Ramps
Marinas
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Carter Lake, CO

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Carter Lake Reservoir, CO

Rainbow Trout

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife regularly stocks 10' rainbow trout to maintain a thriving fishery here. The diet of rainbow trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. Anglers are catching decent rainbows while trolling, or casting from a boat or along the many sections of accessible shore, using flies or small lures, imitating their natural food. The Army Corps of Engineers recommends Doll Mountain, the Dam site, Woodring Branch, Ridgeway and others for bank fishing. Small spinners, miniature crankbaits and miniature swimbaits are catching rainbows, as are nightcrawlers, salmon eggs and other prepared baits.

Walleye

Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Walleye are being caught year round here, but Spring and Fall are the best seasons. As we are coming to the end of Spring, anglers are still finding walleye in the shallows, especially rocky areas. They completed the spawn, and are moving to flats, shoals and ledges off shore. Throughout Summer, early in the morning and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye, as they move shallow to feed. They primarily feed on threadfin and gizzard shad, plus other small fish, close to the bottom. Bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers are catchin them when they move off the bank into 10 to 15 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are working if they are up shallow. Blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners are all working while trolling deeper.

Yellow Perch

Current Report:Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Most anglers here focus on trout and walleye, leaving the perch population with very little fishing pressure. For those who enjoy a good fish fry, and are willing yo find and catch these perch, the fishing has been good all year. Fat yellow perch here feed on small fish and invertebrates. Fishing for them is good using minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Anglers are catching them in 8 to 15 feet of water, around any type of cover. As Summer warms the water, they will move deeper, and can be found 20 feet deep, or deeper. In Winter, they will often move even deeper between 30 and 50 feet.

Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, cutbow trout, lake trout, bluegill, redear sunfish and yellow perch at Carter Lake in Colorado.

Carter Lake is an 1,100-acre lake with over 8 miles of shoreline. It is known for rainbow trout, brown trout, bass. crappie, walleye,bluegill and perch fishing. A mile wide and three miles long, it offers multiple areas for fishing from the bank.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Marinas

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Fishing License

Click here for a Colorado fishing license.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".