{"id":1100,"date":"2026-06-02T13:04:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2026-06-02T13:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:04:41","slug":"is-city-fishing-safe-yes-experts-say-but-there-are-updated-guidelines-to-follow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=1100","title":{"rendered":"Is city fishing safe? Yes, experts say, but there are updated guidelines to follow."},"content":{"rendered":"
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When he was young, Javier Refuerzo and his little brother used to fish through holes in the floor of City Park\u2019s bandshell gazebo. And when his wriggling carp were too large to pull through the 3 to 4-inch openings, he\u2019d cut them loose.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere were a few kids that were there most weekends,\u201d said the 42-year-old Denverite, who fished at City Park\u2019s 24-acre Ferril Lake in the mid-1990s. \u201cSome of us fell in while trying to get to the ledge under the gazebo, when the water was low enough to pull ourselves under (the deck).\u201d<\/p>\n

Scrappy and impatient, he and his friends even used baseball bats to crack through the ice when the lake froze. Of course, safety standards have evolved over the last three decades, but fishing in Denver\u2019s public lakes, reservoirs and waterways has remained a popular, all-ages pastime that requires very little travel or gear to enjoy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are so fortunate in Denver to have a rich and diverse wildlife resource, including our aquatic resources,\u201d said Eliza Hunholz, director of the Park Ranger program for the City and County of Denver. \u201cThere are some wonderful streams, reservoirs and lakes \u2014 some with state records \u2014 that provide a variety of opportunities for fishing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local and state officials annually stock ponds and encourage the free, public activity, educating kids and their parents with fishing clinics and distributing equipment to youngsters through summer youth-fishing derbies and programs like Denver\u2019s Fishing is Fun! The latter is made possible by up to $650,000 in yearly matching grants from Colorado Parks & Wildlife, distributed to local and county governments, park and recreation departments, angling organizations, water districts and others. Since launching in 1989, the program has supported 375 \u201cangling improvement projects\u201d across the state, according to officials.<\/p>\n

For city fishers at close-in locations, following a few guidelines will help protect the water, its fish and the overall tradition for future generations, experts said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure you have a fishing license, know the regulations for the water body\u00a0you are fishing and follow them,\u201d said Aubrey Pelletier, Denver Aquatic Biologist for Colorado Parks & Wildlife. \u201cSome waters have special regulations on tackle types, bag limits, etc., so bringing the correct equipment for the location and target species is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks & Wildlife offers all of that in its latest fishing guide, which covers March 2026 through March 2027. Links to permits, a list of nuisance aquatic species, stream-by-stream regulations, stats, and maps fill the 45-page document.<\/p>\n

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In Denver, popular metro-area spots over the years have included Ferril Lake, Sloan\u2019s Lake, and Washington Park\u2019s Grasmere Lake and Overland Pond. But as water quality has shifted in some public waterways, anglers have flocked to the South Platte River in downtown Denver, or set up at Cherry Creek or Aurora reservoirs for deeper-water species.<\/p>\n

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The variety is impressive. In Ferril Lake alone, fishers have caught bluegill, bullhead, carp, channel catfish, crappie, gizzard shad, green sunfish, largemouth bass, yellow perch and even rainbow trout (catchable-size, stocked in spring, according to Denver Parks & Recreation).<\/p>\n

Urban fish are generally not for eating, and in fact need more care than you might think in order to maintain their robust presence, said Jodie Marozas, Park Ranger Manager for Denver Parks & Recreation.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice catch and release to support the conservation of the local fish population,\u201d she said. \u201cMinimize the time you keep a fish outside of water, especially cold-water species like trout.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Among her other recommendations:<\/p>\n