New Fishing Regulations for Blue River

After several rounds of public input and internal rule-making, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has finalized adoption of new catch-and-release regulations for a trout-rich section of the Blue River below Green Mountain Reservoir.

The new rules, which simply require anglers to return all fish to the water immediately after catching them, go into effect May 1.

The change in regulations was prompted in part by a land trade that will enable more public access to the scenic stretch of river through ground managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Anglers concerned about potential impacts to the thriving fishery encouraged the wildlife agency to establish a catch-and-release regime for the reach.

Last summer, CDOW biologists sampled the fish population in the river with a non-lethal electro-shock survey, finding a healthy trout population. Some of the data, combined with anticipated changes in flows resulting from the operation of the dam’s hydropower plant, suggested that a limited harvest of rainbow trout may have benefited the brown trout population by reducing competition. But public input at a series of angler’s roundtable meetings overwhelmingly favored the no-take option. Advocates said the catch and release regs are the easiest for the agency to enforce, making it the best way to protect the fishery.