Colorado Fishing Report for April 30, 2013

Antero Reservoir limits reinstated; won’t be drained this year
Due to Denver Water’s decision not to drain Antero this year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reinstating the bag and possession limit to two trout per angler effective immediately.

Spinney Mountain State Park opens for fishing season
Spinney Mountain State Park opened to shore fishermen and hand -carried boats on Monday, April 29. Due to the prolonged drought and resulting low water levels, only hand-carried boats will be allowed on the reservoir until further notice. The reservoir is currently down approximately 17 vertical feet below the spillway elevation, making the boat ramps unusable, so only hand-carried boats such as canoes, kayaks, float tubes and personal pontoon boats will be allowed until water levels improve. Recent snowpack powered runoff should help, but in the meantime, get out and take advantage of some of the best fishing of the year at Antero.

Fishermen are reminded that only artificial flies and lures are permitted at Spinney Mountain Reservoir, and that items with any scent are prohibited, regardless of whether scent is added by the manufacturer or by the angler after the item is purchased. The bag and possession limit and minimum size for trout caught in the reservoir is one fish, 20 inches or longer. There is no bag or possession limit on pike, and anglers are encouraged to harvest all pike they catch to help maintain a proper balance in the reservoir.

Boaters: New ballast tank rules for 2013! Remember those green seals!
Remember to get your green seals applied upon leaving your favorite reservoir. Green seals and valid receipts together tell us where your boat has been, and make the entrance inspection easier and faster the next time you launch. New this year: Boats with ballast tanks will need to get a green seal and receipt when exiting a reservoir or the boat will have to be decontaminated when entering a new water body – so be sure to ask for that seal every time! No water, no mud, no plants, no mussels in between each and every use.

Colorado 2013-2014 fishing licenses available
2013 licenses went into effect April 1 and are valid until March 31, 2014. Don’t forget to get your new license before you head out. Buying your license online is easy, just go to http://bit.ly/cpwlicensesales. You can also find the 2013 Colorado Fishing Brochure on our website.

Stocking Report
The following waters were recently stocked with catchable (approximately 10″) trout:

Join our new CPW Fishing community on Facebook
Colorado anglers can “like” the new CPW Fishing Facebook page to get tips, share stories and more. If you love fishing, this is the place to be. Before you head out fishing, head for facebook.com/cpwfishing.

Fish with us on Twitter
Colorado anglers can get fishing updates directly from CPW on Twitter. Follow @CPWfish.