Guide Griz Egloff and angler Todd Hall wrestle a big Antero Reservoir trout to the boat. Photo courtesy of South Platte Anglers.

When anglers dream of spending time along the banks of the Centennial State's countless waterways, the South Platte, Arkansas, Gunnison, Roaring Fork, Yampa and the Blue often come to mind.

For decades now, Colorado's moving waterways have long been at the top of most trout anglers' to-do list -- and for good reason. The hundreds of miles of rivers and streams flowing within its borders consistently spit out big trout, and lots of them.

But among its many rivers and streams are some epic trout waters that get a barely passing glance from visiting trout-river junkies. Here in Colorado's deep blue impoundments, many trout grow to double-digit proportions. In fact, all but one of Colorado's trout records have come from its lakes and reservoirs.

With some 1,800 of those lakes and reservoirs scattered across the state, where should an angler start?

Well, just about any one of these waters can hold hefty residents. But here's a handful that you should consider trying this spring, after winter loosens its icy grip.

Each one offers its own uniqueness, as well as an opportunity to catch quality trout.

Who knows? You might just find yourself holding the next trout record.

SOUTH PLATTE CHAIN
If you were just driving by it, you wouldn't think much would be going on in the Central Colorado region of South Park. Aside from cows poking around, a handful of pronghorn antelope and a few doublewides here and there, you'd assume this region hasn't much to offer. But here, between the Rampart and Sawatch mountain ranges, you'll find Antero, Spinney and Eleven Mile reservoirs.

These Central Colorado gems are chained together by the fertile and famed South Platte River. And just like the rivers that are home to lunker trout, these lakes also produce eye-popping hogs each year.

In fact, the state record rainbow trout once came from this region. And it's common for any of these reservoirs to spit out 5- to 8-pound trout regularly.

Antero Reservoir stretches across some 2,000 surface acres and offers anglers a bounty of willing trout.

Around 1996, the lake was drained for a dam reconstruction project.

Due to a prolonged drought, it did not re-open until 2007. When that day finally arrived, rod-toting anglers flocked to its shores. They reported doubled-over rods and double-digit-sized trout.

It was during this rebirth, so to speak, that angler Frank Stack pulled from Antero's depths the new state-record cuttbow that weighed 18 pounds, 8 ounces.

But all good things must come to an end. When winter's grip sealed off the reservoir to angling activity, Mother Nature was cruel.

A few months later, when the ice loosened, eager anglers arrived with high hopes that the fishing would be as good as it was before.

But the scene was eerie.

"It really was sick to see all of the white bellies floating after ice-off," said guide Kevin Egloff, of South Platte Anglers. "It almost looked like the lake had white caps on it, there were so many fish floating."

Reports from the Colorado Division of Wildlife indicated that nearly 50 percent of Antero's trout population had been lost, and all indications were that many of them were the older fish. Despite this, the CDOW took the situation by the fins, so to speak, and stocked over a million Snake River cutthroat and rainbows last year. Although the overall catch numbers of trout over 18 inches were down, don't let that keep you from planning a trip there this spring.

According to Egloff, anglers did very well last fall, despite the winterkill.