A group of children with a dog fishing from a bank.

About the Grant

Fishing is Fun Grant

The Fishing Is Fun program provides up to $700,000 annually in matching grants to local and county governments, park and recreation departments, angling organizations, water districts and others for projects to improve angling opportunities in Colorado. For over 30 years, the program has supported 375 angling improvement projects across the state.

Currently Closed: The most recent cycle closed on January 31st, 2025. The next grant cycle is expected to open in November 2025.

279

Grants awarded since 1989

$650k

in Grants, Annually

Projects in 2024

Years of Improvements

Fishing is Fun Grant Application Guidelines

The guidelines and instructions are designed for both new applicants and existing grant recipients.

Download the Guidelines

GRANT CYCLE 2024-2025

How to Apply

Step 1: Check Eligibility

Check Eligibility

A wide range of entities are eligible to apply including local and county governments, park and recreation departments, open space departments, water districts, landowners, angling organizations, land and water trusts, conservation groups and other non-profit organizations.

Applicants may not participate in more than two projects annually.
Separate chapters or units of statewide organizations are considered as separate applicants.
Two or more local agencies may form a partnership to conduct a project.
For applicants with limited experience with grant administration, state contracting, permitting, or fund management, partnering with a county or municipality can facilitate project management. While such partnerships are encouraged they are not required.

Step 2: Choose a Project

Choose a Project

The Fishing Is Fun Grant Program is designed to improve Colorado’s sportfishing resources and anglers’ ability to access them. Eligible grant projects include stream and river habitat improvements, access improvements, perpetual easements for public access, pond and lake habitat improvements, fish retention structures, development of new fishing ponds, and amenity improvements such as shade shelters, benches and restrooms.

Characteristics of projects that can help meet those goals include:

The project will assist Colorado Parks and Wildlife in reaching its Strategic Plan goals, most notably an increase in angler recreation days or angler satisfaction.
Proposed improvements are substantial in nature.
The project directly relates to an improvement in or access to the sportfishing resource.
Features will be maintained for the life of the project for sportfishing purposes, normally considered to be 20 years.
Public access to the sportfishing resource is assured for the useful life of the project.
The project is a cost-effective investment.
Physical facilities will be of barrier free construction and be open to all anglers.

The Fishing Is Fun program has historically supported four broad categories of projects. However, project proponents are encouraged to propose other innovative projects if they can meet the goal of the FIF program – improvements to Colorado’s angling recreation resources.

The four main categories of projects are:

New Angler Access

This category covers projects developing access to streams and lakes that have been previously closed to the public or to lands that are owned by public agencies but have been largely inaccessible by the public for lack of development or other site challenges. Access can be accomplished by easements, leases, or in some cases, fee title acquisition. It can include site and facility development associated with that access such as trails or access steps to fishing waters. It can also include identification of and signage for existing, but underutilized publicly owned angling access.

Habitat Development

Includes in-stream structures, bank stabilization, erosion control, revegetation, submerged fish habitat improvements, and renovation to irrigation diversion structures to facilitate fish migration or float angling access. In-stream habitat project often present specialized challenges and require specific skills.

For projects involving in-stream habitat work, early consultation with CPW aquatic biologists is strongly advised.
Improvements based on the Natural Channel Design approach is also advised. CPW aquatic biologists can also advise project sponsors on firms experienced with Natural Channel Design. Project sponsors have also often found it helpful for CPW aquatic biologists to be involved with the contractor selection process.

Fishing Site Improvements

This category includes development activities at existing public fishing sites such as restrooms, angler trails, fishing piers, shade shelters, parking lots, and other angler amenities.

Boat Access

This category covers all types of amenities associated with motor boat access. Projects can be on rivers or lakes and include improvements such as boat ramps, docks, restrooms, parking lots, fencing and access road improvements.

Plan Your Project

Projects often include one or more of the following elements:

Construction or renovation of public fishing ponds
Construction or renovation of boat ramps, docks, or fishing piers
Restrooms
- If restrooms are involved, they must be an integral part of a fisheries project and substantially benefit anglers. Grant funding must be commensurate with the overall project benefit to anglers, i.e. costs may be pro-rated to reflect anticipated angler share of usage.
Stream or lake habitat improvement structures
Fencing of stream riparian habitat
Facility improvements such as access trails, parking, shade shelters, bank stabilization
Angler access structures
Public access for stream or lake fishing by fee title, easement or lease
- If new public access involving a property interest (i.e. access easement, fee title acquisition) is part of a project, the sponsor must contact the FIF program coordinator early in the process and prior to submitting the application. Additional requirements are involved with real estate actions that must be addressed by CPW staff.

Step 3: Compile Your Application

Step 4: Review and Approval

Application Review and Approval

There are several steps in the application, review and approval process.

State Review

Applications will be evaluated and ranked by regional staff, including local District Wildlife Manager, Area Biologist, and Senior Regional Biologist. Project sponsors may be contacted during this time for more information, beyond that provided in the first stage. Please be patient but also be aware that lobbying CPW management, commissioners or review panel members during the selection process will disqualify the project from further consideration.
Following technical review by the FIF program coordinator, project funding applicants and local sponsors will present their project at the meeting of the FIF Review Panel in Denver in mid-March. CPW Regional Aquatic Biologists or the local District Wildlife Manager who helped with the project application may also be present to answer technical or biological questions from the panel.
After the presentations, the Review Panel develops a set of funding recommendations, which will be forwarded to the Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
1. In the selection process, high- rated projects historically have been those that foster significant increases in angler use, open up new public access to fishing waters, and/or include a high percentage of matching funds. However, the review panel also recognizes that not every community or organization can provide matching funds beyond the 25% minimum, or that a project may not provide a large increase in angler numbers but may be very important to that community. The review panel takes such factors into account in assessing the merits of projects. Other review factors include confidence in an ability to complete the project, a diversity of local funding or support, the quality of the project description in the application and at the review panel presentation, and regional CPW assessment of the project.

Around mid-April, applicants will be notified of final funding decisions.

Federal Review

If the project utilizes federal funding a number of federal requirements have to be addressed for all projects. These “compliance issues” are addressed as part of the federal aid application portion of the process, not during the initial application and panel review process. Depending on the nature of the projects, substantial delays – up to nine months or more – may occur as a result of these requirements, although lengthy delays are the exception. The following lists some compliance assurances that are typically required as part of the federal review process:

Historical and Cultural Preservation
- A written statement from the State Historical Preservation office clearing your project – CPW normally takes the lead on this.
Prime and Unique Farmland
- A written confirmation from the Natural Resources Conservation Service clearing your project site from the unique or prime farmland restrictions – CPW normally takes the lead on this.
Army Corps of Engineers 404 Permit
- A 404 Permit, nationwide permit or clearance from the Corps of Engineers may be needed for projects that could affect jurisdictional wetlands or will occur in streams, rivers, lakes and the like – the project sponsor normally takes the lead on this, if applicable, through contact with the local Army Corps of Engineers Office. CPW aquatic biologist can often provide guidance or assistance on this requirement.
Endangered Species
- Each project must assess whether there will be an impact on any federally-listed threatened or endangered species or how any impact will be mitigated – CPW personnel normally take the lead on assessing the presence of any listed species. Project sponsor may take the lead on determining course of action should endangered species issues arise.
Environmental Assessments
- Projects that involve water depletions, wetlands or other environmental impacts may require an acceptable Environmental Assessments – Project sponsor will develop any required environmental assessments.

Grant Deadlines

Key Topic	Description	Date
Applications Open	Applications available on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website, or from the Fishing is Fun Program Coordinator at travis.long@state.co.us.	November 2024
Applications Due	Applications due to Program Coordinator Travis Long via email – travis.long@state.co.us.	January 31st, 2025
Review Process Begins	Review by regional personnel, which may involve discussions with applicant and suggested improvements to the proposal.	February 2025
Applicants Notified	Applicants notified of schedule for presentation to review panel.	February 25th, 2025
Review Panel Meeting	Review Panel meeting. Applicants will be scheduled for a 15 minute presentation, with questions to follow. List of funding recommendations developed for CPW Director.	March 12th, 2025
CPW Director Approval	CPW Director's approval of final project funding list and letters to applicants with conditional approval.	April, 2025
US Fish and Wildlife Service Review	US Fish and Wildlife Service project review, including any NEPA compliance issues, Section 404 permits required and other external compliance issues. State contract preparation, routing and signatures.	April 2025-December 2025
Applicants Notified	Letter to proceed with project mailed to successful applicants (may occur earlier).	January 2026
Project Completion	Deadline for project completion.	December 31, 2028

Contact

Please email any questions about fishing is fun grants to:

Grants Program Coordinator

Travis Long
travis.long@state.co.us