Colorado Parks and Wildlife enacted a voluntary fishing closure August 7, 2026, on an 11-mile stretch of the Gunnison River above Blue Mesa Reservoir, citing low flows and rising water temperatures driven by drought conditions.

The closure runs from noon to midnight each day on the stretch between the U.S. Highway 50 bridge and the Blue Mesa Reservoir standing water line at the Colorado State Highway 149 bridge. It will remain in place until further notice.

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"Flows from Taylor Reservoir are going to be cut by 100 cubic feet per second between now and August 12," said CPW aquatic biologist Giulio Del Piccolo. "The Gunnison River at the Highway 50 bridge is currently flowing at around 330 cfs, which is around 50% of the median and water temperatures are peaking in the high 60's on hot days. We are implementing this closure proactively as river conditions are expected to decline further, particularly in the lower part of the reach."

The half-day closure allows anglers to fish in the morning when water temperatures are cooler, while protecting fish during peak afternoon heat. CPW asks anglers to adhere to voluntary closures to avoid mandatory ones.

"This section is an important asset to the local community, and we understand that the current drought is limiting angling options and outfitter opportunities," Del Piccolo said. "This voluntary closure is a great chance for the anglers and recreators who value this river to give it a break and allow it to recover."

The closure brings the statewide total to 646 miles of river or stream under voluntary or mandatory closures. Colorado has 6,156 flowing waters totaling 44,368 miles, plus more than 1,300 lakes.

CPW may enact mandatory fishing closures when any of the following criteria are met: daily maximum water temperature exceeds 71 degrees; streamflow drops to 50 percent or less of the daily average; fish show visible signs of fungus or stress; or daily minimum dissolved oxygen falls below 6 parts per million.

To reduce fish stress during warm conditions, CPW advises anglers to use heavier tippet and line to land fish quickly, wet hands before handling fish, keep fish submerged while unhooking and releasing them, avoid removing fish from the water for photographs, and have an alternative fishing location planned.

A full list of current fishing closures in Colorado is available at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQv8-zuZoYsA6jhM2l76icNnlVKK6NR36qeamBg_6s2f0POK6-nA0s66Nt_TcanQeClTXBvBvZGJls9/pubhtml. Anglers can locate other fishing areas using the CPW Fishing Atlas at https://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html?app=FishingAtlas.