DENVER — A record-breaking brook trout was caught in Waterdog Lake near Lake City, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The 8-pound, 9-ounce fish was caught by Lake City resident Matt Smiley on Oct. 8. The fish measured 26.25 inches in length and had a girth of 16 inches.
“The experience of this catch has been surreal, and it took a few days to soak in. It’s a really special fish,” Smiley said in a CPW release. “The toughest thing for me with this whole deal was deciding to keep the fish. I’ve released so many over the years, but it was one of those deals where I made a quick decision and wanted to give this fish the recognition it deserves.”
Before this year, the record stood for 75 years. In 1947, a 7.63-pound brook trout was caught out of Upper Cataract Lake in Summit County.
But in May 2022, Tim Daniel of Granby reeled in a 7.84-pound brook trout from Monarch Lake in Grand County. Since Daniel’s catch May 23, the record has actually been broken twice, with both caught at Waterdog Lake, CPW said.