Best Fishing on Colorado’s Western Slope

As a hardcore bass fisherman, I'm a bit of a "fish out of water" here in western Colorado. I know I'm going to miss Lake of The Ozarks, Table Rock, Truman Lake, and the other fishing holes I frequented back home.

However, as they say, "when in Rome," I'm all about learning, and catching anything that swims, so I did some digging and here's what I was told are some of the best fishing holes in the western half of Colorado.

Animas River:  The river through Durango has top notch rainbow and brown trout fishing.

Beaver Creek Reservoir:  A popular trout fishery in the South Fork area.

Blue Mesa Reservoir: Said to be the best lake for salmon and quality rainbows.

Conejos River: Excellent brown and rainbow fishing.

Crawford Reservoir: Good crappie, yellow perch, largemouth bass, catfish, and rainbows.

So follow anglers, you agree?  Aside from the private pond in your grandpa's backyard, where can a guy hook a big one?

[Colorado Parks + Wildlife]