Colorado Parks and Wildlife announces Colorado Quality Waters designation for 53 of the states most productive and quality fisheries

Joey Livingston
Statewide Public Information Officer
303-345-4658 / [email protected]

CPW aquatic biologist's like Jon Ewert nominated 53 fisheries as Colorado Quality Waters. Photo of Lake Granby, courtesy of Ryan Jones/CPW

DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is excited to announce a new category of fishable waters called Colorado Quality Waters. These 53 lakes and streams contain productive, quality fisheries with public access, providing a top-tier experience for anglers.

CPW’s talented team of fish management biologists identified and nominated these waters based on fish sampling records, surveys, and professional biological assessments. The waters were nominated for providing exceptional angling opportunities for one species or a variety of species.

View a list of Colorado Quality Waters here.

“Colorado offers anglers the opportunity to fish in 6,000 miles of streams and more than 1,300 lakes and reservoirs,” said Josh Nehring, CPW’s Deputy Aquatic Section Manager. “We are excited to announce this new designation and highlight these high quality fisheries.”

Colorado Quality Waters are below the threshold to be considered Gold Medal Waters, but are recognized because of their fantastic and diverse warm-water and cold-water fisheries. For more information on Gold Medal Waters see page 3 of the 2024 Colorado Fishing Brochure.

CPW will have in-depth highlights of some new Colorado Quality Waters coming soon. Follow CPW on social media and sign up for email newsletters to stay informed.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.