Loveland Fishing Club Blog

As thoughts turn to summer fun in the Colorado mountains, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding visitors to State Forest State Park that a contractor will begin rehabilitation on the dam at North Michigan Reservoir during the month of May. The dam at the popular fishing and camping reservoir is being upgraded to improve safety for downstream properties. The work will require water levels to be reduced began March 29. Due to decreased water levels, all ice activities including ice fishing will be prohibited starting on March 29. In addition, no boating will be allowed on North Michigan Reservoir in 2021. Also, campers at the North Michigan campground should be prepared for disturbances due to noisy construction equipment. Campsites immediately adjacent to the dam are closed during the work. Generators, pumps, and heavy equipment will be active during the daytime hours. Some nighttime generator noise is also a possibility during times when pumps are required to remove water from the c...

  Governor Jared Polis signs the bill at Cherry Creek State Park.  Governor Jared Polis signs the bill at Cherry Creek State Park.    DENVER –  Today, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is pleased to announce that Governor Polis signed bill SB21-112 that appropriates $20 million of the state general fund for capital improvements for increased access at certain state parks. The bill is a component of a bipartisan stimulus effort developed by the Governor and the General Assembly to jumpstart Colorado’s economy through investments in infrastructure projects. This conservation-focused legislation will help direct funds to outdoor projects in Colorado that protect irreplaceable public lands and expand outdoo...

  BELLVUE, Colo. - Colorado Parks and Wildlife monitoring efforts of the fish ladder installed on the Cache la Poudre River at the Watson Lake State Wildlife Area two years ago shows it has been a success across several fronts. The fishway was designed to allow passage around a diversion structure in the river for multiple species of fish. This project is a realization of a partnership formed between private and public entities.  “Overall, we are happy with the project and have documented fish moving upstream and downstream in the structure,” said CPW Aquatic Biologist Kyle Battige. “The fish ladder has improved conditions on the river and reconnected over two miles of river habitat by providing upstream movement opportunities for fish that had not existed at the Watson Lake Diversion Structure location since it was built in the 1960s.” Watch trout swim in the fish ladder and hear more from aquatic biologist Kyle Battige Two separate Passive Integrated Transponde...

  North Michigan Reservoir - Photo by Dustin Doskocil 2019 WALDEN, Colo. - As thoughts turn to summer fun in the Colorado mountains, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding visitors to State Forest State Park that a contractor will begin rehabilitation on the dam at North Michigan Reservoir during the month of May. The dam at the popular fishing and camping reservoir is being upgraded to improve safety for downstream properties. The work will require water levels to be reduced beginning March 29. Due to decreased water levels, all ice activities including ice fishing will be prohibited starting on March 29 . In addition, no boating will be allowed on North Michigan Reservoir in 2021 . Also, campers at the North Michigan campground should be prepared for disturbances due to noisy construction equipment. Campsites immediately adjacent to the dam are closed during the work. Generators, pumps, and heavy equipment will be active during the daytime hours. Some nighttime generator nois...

Note: I checked with CPW at Boyd lake and you can still use a fishing or hunting license to access SWA places. State Wildlife Areas are different from State Parks, a Parks pass won't work for SWA area.  March 23, 2021 DENVER – At its virtual meeting last week, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to approve a new Colorado State Wildlife Area Pass as an option to access state wildlife areas. The new pass will go on sale May 1, 2021.  “This is an important step in ensuring everyone who visits our state wildlife areas is contributing to their management and maintenance,” said CPW Director Dan Prenzlow.   The annual Colorado SWA Pass will be available on May 1, 2021 by visiting any CPW office or online at cpwshop.com . The pass will be priced similarly to a resident annual fishing license and revenue from the new SWA pass will be used to manage and maintain SWAs.  Colorado State Wildlife Area Pass annual: $36.08* 1 day: $9 Youth (ages ...

Only 28 club members have responded to Jim Visger's request for an March 17 e-mail or mail-in vote on election of club officers - at least 47 are needed. There's no reasonable reason to not vote either yea or nay. If you have NOT seen the e-mail, it may have gone into your computer's SPAM folder. Please check. Below is a copy of the ballot question. If you've not yet responded, please indicate your vote with a yes or no after clicking on the following e-mail: visgermnj@aol.com Original e-mail follows: LOVELAND FISHING CLUB OFFICIAL BALLOT Reply within 5 days of receipt In accordance with ARTICLE 8 of the Bylaws at the first general meeting each year the club is asked to ratify your Board Officers, however, things are a bit different this year. Without the ability to meet in person and with only 15-25 members showing up at zoom general meetings the board is asking each member to cast their vote either by e-mail ballot or postal ballot, thereby allowing your b...

  Your old license expires March 31, so get out your wallet. Here's a link to a site where you can purchase your license online,  https://www.cpwshop.com/licensing.page   You can also renew at sporting goods stores, or the Boyd Lake State Park office (where you can also renew your boat registration). It's time to go fishing! 

  DENVER –  More boats requiring decontamination because of infestations of destructive mussels entered Colorado in 2020 compared to previous years; but the statewide inspection program coordinated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife again succeeded in keeping invasive mussels out of the state’s lakes and reservoirs. Invasive species damage Colorado's lands and waters, hurt the economy, ruin recreational opportunities and threaten public health. Thanks to CPW’s comprehensive Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) prevention program , all waters in the state are now officially free of evidence of mussels. In 2017, veligers, the microscopic larval stage of quagga mussels, found at Green Mountain Reservoir showed that mussels might exist there. But three years of subsequent water testing were negative for mussel species. “Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to meet the challenge of protecting the state’s waters and infrastructure from aquatic nuisance species,” said Robert Walters, CPW’...

Wayne Baranczyk dropped his float tube into Carter Lake this week, finding open water and (to his surprise) that the water lords had refilled the lake to the brim! No word on whether he caught fish, which probably speaks volumes. Looking north toward the marina, a nice lakeful of H2O.  

 (Also posted in http://fishexplorer.com ) By Bill Prater This is that fun time of year when northern Colorado/southern Wyoming ice fishermen keep asking one another, “Anyone checked the ice on Boyd? Is there still ice on top of Douglas? How about Hattie? Hey, can you still walk on (and off) Crystal?” The answer is: “Well, you can hope all you want; but below 6 or 7,000 feet, the ice around here has gotten pretty darned dicey.” Some diehards will just trek higher into the mountains, or get out their fly rods and head for a creek. Or catch a late season clearance on some fancy new floatation bibs, and hope they won’t be needed. Me, I’m thinking it is time for still water anglers to put away their augers and tiny rods, and take advantage of late winter/early spring open water. This time of year, you really can catch fish in open water -  in most parts of the country much more frequently than you can around the Front Range.  You Tube  and  Face Book  groups ar...

 Here's the dial information from  Peggy Gwinnup, who is providing technical support for our Zoom meetings. Just click on the link below.  Topic: LFC General Meeting Time: March 16, 2021 02 p.m. Mountain Time Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 84351853987?pwd= OWtjTkpqTUtENHRMYWtrVDk5ZjQ0Zz 09 Meeting ID: 843 5185 3987 Passcode: 324940 One tap mobile +16699009128,,84351853987# US (San Jose) +12532158782,,84351853987# US (Tacoma)

  Osage County angler catches 112-pound invasive black carp | Missouri Department of Conservation (mo.gov) MDC confirms Jesse Hughes of Bonnots Mill caught an invasive black carp in Osage County March 4. Hughes was catfishing when he reeled in the 112-pound fish from the Osage River upstream of the Bonnots Mill Access. Jill Pritchard Mar 09, 2021 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.  – An Osage County man got a surprise last week after catching a 112-pound invasive black carp from the Osage River. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has listed black carp on the Prohibited Species List – a list of species that may not be imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or possessed alive in Missouri without written approval of the director. Jesse Hughes of Bonnots Mill was originally catfishing with friends March 4 when he hooked into the fish. “We hooked into it and knew it was something big, but I originally thought it was a catfish,” Hughes recalled. “It was the first...

Quick update:  I just learned Greeley has drained the damned thing. Not sure why, but assured it is high and dry.  Just sitting here wondering about options for spring fishing. Poudre Ponds opened in 2011 using a Fishing is Fun grant, and it's stocked with trout, bass, crappie. Probably gets a ton of angling pressure, but where can you go these days that doesn't? It's located on the north end of Greeley off 35th street, a reasonable drive. Looks pretty intriguing on Google Earth..

For those of us that fish in Wyoming and maybe even northern Colorado lets call the Wyoming or Colorado wildlife office to report any of these rabbits we might run across.  https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Regional-Offices/Laramie-Region/Laramie-Region-News/Rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease-recently-found-in-Laram  LARAMIE  - Recently, 11 cases of Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) have been identified in Albany and Laramie counties. These cases have been from a wild eastern cottontail (1), black-tailed jackrabbits (3), and desert cottontails (7). RHDV2 is a fatal disease of rabbits that affects both domestic and wild rabbits, including hares, jackrabbits, and cottontails. Signs of the disease are sudden death and occasionally blood stained noses as a result of internal bleeding. The disease is very contagious, being spread via direct contact, exposure to infected excretions or blood, spreading via carcass, food, water, or any contaminated material.  ...

 https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/Zebra-mussels-found-in-several-WY-pet-stores Do not flush moss balls or pour aquarium water down drains CHEYENNE  -  An invasive mussel that poses a serious threat to Wyoming’s natural resources and water systems has been found in a number of pet stores across the state. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in a variety of moss balls, a product sold at many aquarium and pet supply stores. Game and Fish is urging anyone who has this product to carefully dispose of it and aquarium water immediately. Proper disposal is essential to help mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects mussels could have for the state. “Zebra mussels are an  extremely destructive aquatic invasive species ,” said Game and Fish Chief of Fisheries Alan Osterland. “Once they become established in reservoirs, lakes or even city water systems, they wreak havoc. They remove nutrients from water, clog pipes and waterways, damage...