John Martin Reservoir is one of the largest bodies of water in southeastern Colorado, USA, offering a variety of fish species such as walleye, crappie, catfish, and bass. The lake is surrounded by a state park, which offers camping, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Anglers looking for success should try to fish during the cooler months of fall, winter, and early spring, using jigs and live bait. Summer can be productive for catfish and carp, but the high temperatures can make fishing challenging. The best time to visit is in spring or fall, with average temperatures ranging from 40-70°F.

Featured Fish - Black Crappie

It is an abundant species and is important both commercially and as a sport fish. Black crappies are easily caught, often as fast as the hook can be rebaited. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish: Though they show a definite family resemblance, they are distinctive enough that they shouldn’t be confused with any other species. The black crappie and the white crappie are most often confused with each other. Despite their common names, both species are the same color (dark olive or black dorsally with silvery sides) and both have spots on the sides. However, the pattern of the spotting is distinctly different. In the black crappie the spots are more or less irregular and scattered while in the white crappie the spots may be more vague and are clearly arranged into 7-9 vertical bars on the sides. Another distinction; the black crappie has 7-8 dorsal spines while the white crappie has only 6, the same number as in its anal fin. In body shape the black crappie’s is somewhat deeper than the white crappie.