Aaron Berscheid is a district wildlife officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Aaron covers the “wild” side of Northeast El Paso County, including Black Forest, Falcon, Peyton and Calhan. He also covers some of Elbert County, north of U.S. Highway 24 and south of State Highway 86, including the towns of Elbert, Kiowa, Ramah, Simla, Matheson and a small portion of the Limon area.
Editor’s Note: This is a regular monthly column from Colorado Parks and Wildlife about wildlife issues in the Falcon area by a career wildlife officer.
Wildlife officers offer valuable tips to anglers
By Aaron Berscheid
District Wildlife Manager, CPW
Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for our officers.
On top of responding to wildlife conflict calls and hosting various outreach events, we also patrol the waterways of Colorado, speaking with anglers to ensure they are being safe and following the laws and regulations of the state.
As a result, we get the inside scoop on where the fish are biting and where they are not, gaining valuable information that might help you catch your limit. Today, I am going to share my knowledge and give you a few fishing tips. And what serious angler doesn’t enjoy a good fishing tip?
The most important advice I have should be the most obvious: Buy a Colorado fishing license. If you are 16 or older and plan to fish at any public water in Colorado, you must purchase a fishing license.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers a few fishing license options. Adult residents can purchase a $16 one-day license or a $42 annual license, which is valid from the date of purchase to March 31. A $12 annual Habitat Stamp is also required when purchasing your third one-day license or the annual license. Either way, it’s a bargain if you catch your limit. Have you seen the price of fish in the grocery stores lately?
Another tip is to be aware that some waters have special regulations. Please refer to our website or the 2024 Colorado Fishing Brochure to see a full list of regulations and license options. And if you are unsure, ask! Our customer service representatives and officers are more than happy to answer your questions.
Now, here are a few of those actual line-in-the-water fishing tips I promised.
There are more fishing opportunities if you head west up Ute Pass on U.S. Highway 24.
The North Slope Recreation Area is a great option that currently provides two reservoirs you can access from the Pikes Peak Highway west of Colorado Springs. There is a fee for using the area, but the scenery and fishing are well-worth the cost. With dam repairs happening on South Catamount, only Crystal Creek Reservoir will be accessible from the highway, but generally the fishing is worth the trip.
North Catamount is still accessible for those who are willing to take a short but relatively challenging hike. But be aware, North Catamount has special regulations. You can only fish with flies and lures. Bait and scented artificial lures are not allowed. As I mentioned before, you can refer to our website or brochure for the complete list of rules. North Catamount contains rainbow, native and Snake River cutthroat, cutbows, brown and lake trout.
There are some large lake trout in all three reservoirs and the daily bag and possession limit for these monsters is two fish.
These reservoirs are regularly stocked and the fishing is consistently good. Even better, the North Slope is a great place for some peace and quiet with a great view of Pikes Peak.
In Teller County, Manitou Lake is a great place to take the family and is easy to access. This reservoir is located about 5 miles north of Woodland Park off Highway 67 at the Manitou Lake Picnic Area. A day-use fee is required for each vehicle but it’s usually worth the price because the fishing is pretty good most years.
The reservoir contains mostly rainbow trout and cutbow trout (which is a hybrid fish crossed between a rainbow and cutthroat). The fishing is usually extremely good after a stocking, and fish can be caught year-round. You can go to https://cpw.state.co.us/fishstocking to find a stocking report.
If you only have an evening or morning to fish and don’t feel like traveling too far to wet a line, there are a few local options closer to Black Forest.
Wolf Lake is stocked a couple of times throughout the year and offers both trout and bass. It is close and convenient. Wolf Lake is located on the current east end of Briargate just west of Black Forest Road.
In Colorado Springs, Monument Lake, Quail Lake, Prospect Lake and Memorial Lake also offer some city fishing opportunities that are closer than the mountain options. CPW also stocks those waters regularly.
My final tip is what to expect if you see me or one of my colleagues checking fishing licenses.
We try to be quick and not intrude too much on your fishing. But we do enjoy hearing how the fishing is going and hearing a good fish tale. I take pride in helping others catch fish. In fact, every wildlife officer I know is willing to share a tip or two, if asked. We are there to help you and we know these bodies of water very well since we check them frequently and speak with a lot of other anglers.
However, you are under no obligation to chat with us. I just need to see your fishing license. Once I see it, I will be on my way. Most of my contacts last less than a minute and I am sensitive to people wanting to get away from others while fishing, so I won’t pester you. However, we are out there checking licenses for a very good reason.
Back before Colorado was even a state, pioneers fished our waters so heavily some species went extinct. The first fishing regulations were passed in 1861 by the first Legislative Assembly of the Colorado Territory. In those days, people “fished” with dynamite, seines, baskets, traps and even poison.
Licenses have been required for the privilege of fishing in Colorado for more than a century. We use the funds to conduct biological surveys on the state’s waters to assess their populations, support angling opportunities, protect our native fish species and stock 90 million fish a year! I recommend stopping by a Colorado fish hatchery if you get the chance.
Managing Colorado’s 2,000 lakes, 800 reservoirs and 9,500 miles of trout streams is a large and important task that your license fees help pay for.
We couldn’t do it without people like you who recognize the benefit. And it’s only fair that anglers are making their contribution to the resource they are enjoying.
So, if you see me coming, please offer me your license, and I’ll offer you any good tip I have about a hot fishing hole to help you find success.
For more information on fishing. please pick up a brochure at any place that sells fishing licenses or visit: https://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/Fishing.aspx
As always, if you have a question, problem or column idea, please email me at aaron.berscheid@state.co.us or call me at 719-227-5231.
I might even answer your question in a future installment of “Wildlife Matters.”
