Colorado Parks and Wildlife lifted voluntary fishing closures on portions of three Northwest Region rivers effective September 19, 2026, citing cooler water temperatures.

The lifted closures affect the following areas:

Colorado River: All voluntary fishing closures from Windy Gap Dam downstream to the Williams Fork confluence near Parshall, and from Red Dirt Creek downstream to the Highway 13 bridge in Rifle. While low flows continue to persist in sections of the Colorado River, cold tributaries, deeper-water refuges in narrow canyon reaches, and larger pools provide cool refuges for fish.

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Fraser River: Afternoon voluntary fishing closures from County Road 8 in Fraser downstream to the Colorado River confluence outside Granby, including Fraser Flats, Fraser River Canyon, and public waters in Granby.

White River: Afternoon voluntary fishing closures on the North Fork and South Fork from the White River National Forest boundary down to their confluence, and on the White River from the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork downstream to County Road 5.

Full-day voluntary closures remain in place on parts of the Eagle River, Crystal River, Elk River, and Yampa River due to high water temperatures and low flows. A mandatory fishing closure also remains in place on the Yampa River from the Stagecoach State Park dam downstream 0.6 miles to the park boundary.

Anglers are encouraged to check river conditions before traveling. For a complete list of mandatory and voluntary fishing closures, visit the 2026 Weather and Drought Closures page at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQv8-zuZoYsA6jhM2l76icNnlVKK6NR36qeamBg_6s2f0POK6-nA0s66Nt_TcanQeClTXBvZGJls9/pubhtml