Walleye's & Bass at Chatfield

There are a few keepers I've heard...I don't know the lake, but I've heard and IMO it is another lake that have had a bad impact by minimum size limits. So many people fish it than when a fish of a size that can be kept is kept, thus there aren't many of that size. IMO slot limits are better than minimum lengths when a population has already been established.

There are legal size fish in Chatfield.  They are just hard to come by.  My son caught a 20 inch walleye last week.  The bass will be coming on hard soon. it seems easier to find a legal bass than walleye.  Last year I caught quite a few legal smallmouth.

Near the coordinates for the bridge I marked an area that is about 18 feet deep with drop offs to 30 and a trough of about 25 between it and the road bed.  I did pretty good with it today.  The coordinates are 30 32.800N, 105 04.334W.

There is also a point that runs out for a hundred feet or so just west of the handicap pier where the south arm meets the main body of the lake. I usually do ok either drifting or trolling over it.  

Hope this helps a bit.

Dan

PS. I think a slot limit might work better there but I don't make the rules, we did through the keeper my son caught last week back.

Last week me and a buddy went to chatfield and caught a total of 13 walleye in the two days we fished. Only one was a keeper: 19 inches. We threw him back so I can confirm that there is at least one keeper swimmin' around that lake.

You want SM Bass .. Go on over to PUEBLO RES. Lots of them there.. Email me for info if youd like..

steve

I also think it has alot to do with the shad spawn this year, or lack of. Sometold me that the shad spawn crashed. I also heard their taking shad from Cherry Creek and putting them in CF to help the foliage base.

Also like TFB said "when a fish of a size that can be kept is kept" i think this could be a factor as well. When someone catches a keeper they do just that.

IMO


-Jay

chat seems fished out to me,or just plain hard fishin.the place just gets pounded with fisherman/boaters.that creates a hard lake.best time to fish chat is through the ice.me and my buddy go there and hit keeper walleye all winter long,not to mention the trout we pull out those are nice too.but i can attest to there being some real nice walleyes that i personally watched swim back down the hole.i dont keep many(like 2 out of every 15 or so). they are in there so keep tryin.
shawn

best time to fish chat is through the ice.me and my buddy go there and hit keeper walleye all winter long

Click to expand...

This fall I am willing to listen to all the advice you can give on catching walleye throught the ice. I am more than happy to be "schooled" in that subject!

Dan

you got it buddy,im already thinking about the ice.cant wait.i might even put up a thread about how we go about cathing finicky eyes through the ice.
shawn

By all means do, But wait till we get closer to the season. It will get lost between now and then.

I am willing to take any advice on improving my winter success!

Dan