CPW asks anglers not to fish on parts of rivers in Colorado due to combination of factors

Hot weather in Colorado has prompted officials from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to ask anglers to avoid fishing on some sections of rivers.

The action is in addition to a mandatory closure on a stretch of the Yampa River just below Stagecoach Park. CPW say new voluntary fishing closures, effective July 19, are enacted on the Animas River through Durango, Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir and San Juan River through Pagosa Springs from noon to midnight.

That's in addition to Fraser River, Colorado River and Eagle River.

The hope is that people won't fish from noon until midnight because of a combination of heat, drought and low water levels are making fish susceptible to disease.

CPW shared the following specifics about the closures:

• Full-day voluntary fishing closure on the Colorado River from Bair Ranch in Glenwood Canyon downstream to the Hwy.13 bridge in Rifle.  The full-day fishing closure now applies to the entire stretch of the Colorado River from State Bridge downstream to Rifle.

• Full-day voluntary fishing closure on the Eagle River from the Hwy.131 bridge at Wolcott downstream to the confluence with the Colorado River. This extends the current closure from Eagle upstream to Wolcott, and replaces the partial day closure with a full day. 

• Full-day voluntary fishing closure on the Yampa River from the Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area to the western edge of Steamboat Springs town limits.  This is a new closure.

These voluntary closures will remain in effect until further notice, with a possibility of a mandatory emergency closure to all fishing if conditions worsen and/or angler compliance becomes problematic.