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Fishing Around Wildfire Across Colorado

Blog by: Matt Snider 8/21/2020
Thought I'd gather some info to help you plan your fishing trips around all the wildfire activity around the state of Colorado.  Plan ahead to work around the closure areas as you venture out fishing.  Also be aware of suggested "voluntary" fishing closures on some rivers per this CPW release 

For an oversight of current road conditions, closures and detours be sure to check the COtrip website.

Cameron Peak Fire (104k acres as of 9/21/20; 20.1k acres as of 8/24/20;16.6k acres as of 8/21/20)
Started just west of Chambers Lake, has burned around Barnes Meadow Reservoir, Lost Lake, Laramie Lake, and Joe Wright Reservoir. It has surrounded or is threatening other small lakes and sections of the Cache La Poudre River up Highway 14.  Closures also include Longdraw and Creedmore.
Colorado Highway 14 is closed from Stove Prairie to Walden as of 9/19/20 per CDOT Rustic (actually Kelly Flats per LCSO tweet) to Gould. There is heavy fire traffic through the Poudre Canyon as crews access the fire area.  Red Feather Lakes area has also been closed/evacuated as of 9/21/20.

Closures per the August 20 order include many trails and:
Trailheads: Bald Mountain , Beaver Creek, Big South, Blue Lake, Browns Lake, Corral Creek, Dadd Gulch, Donner Pass-Ballard Road, Donner Pass-Buckhorn Road, Emmaline Lake, Fish Creek, Jacks Gulch, Kelly Flats, Killpecker, La Poudre Pass, Link-McIntyre, Molly Lake, North Lone Pine, Peterson Lake, Rawah, Roaring Creek, Signal Mountain, Stormy Peaks, Trap Park, West Branch, Zimmerman, & Zimmerman Lake 
Campgrounds: Aspen Glen, Bellaire Lake, Big Bend, Big South, Browns Park, Chambers Lake, Grandview, Jacks Gulch, Kelly Flats, Long Draw, North Fork Poudre, Sleeping Elephant, Tom Bennett, & Tunnel 
Fishing Sites: Creedmore Lake, Eggers, Indian Meadows, Indian Meadows, Joe Wright, Long Draw #1, Long Draw #2, & Long Draw #3, Lost Lake
Boating Sites: Chambers Lake & Rustic River Access
Picnic Sites: Bellaire Lake, Bennett Creek, Cameron Pass, Chambers Lake, Fish Creek, & Tunnel


Grizzly Creek Fire (30.7k acres as of 8/24/20; 30k acres as of 8/21/20)
Burning ENE of Glenwood Springs.  I-70 continues to be closed between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum, with no estimated time for reopening.  [update 8/24/20 per CoTrip: EB/WB I-70 open in Glenwood Canyon following firefighting activity. Head-to-head traffic between mile post (MP) 117.6 and MP 125.9. Eastbound and Westbound will have one lane in each direction.] Restricted area extends from the east boundary at the Colorado River Road in Dotsero to the south at the White River National Forest boundary in Glenwood Canyon, to the north at the southern boundary of the Flat Tops Wilderness, and to the west near Adams Lake. Closures are effecting lakes such as Heart Lake, Deep Lake, and Sweetwater Lake... as well as sections of the Colorado River

From cotrip.com: I-70 Extended Closure between MM 116 and MM 140 in both directions.  Hwy 82 Independence Pass is open to passenger vehicles only with delays of up to two hours expected. No vehicles over 35 feet in length (this includes a vehicle and trailer that, together, exceed 35 feet) may use Independence Pass at any time.


Pine Gulch Fire (133.8k acres as of 8/24/20; 125k acres as of 8/21/20)
Burning north of Grand Junction, south of Rangely.


Williams Fork Fire (11k acres as of 8/24/20; 10.3k acres as of 8/21/20)
Fire is west of Winter Park, north of Loveland Ski area, south of Williams Fork Res.  Some effected lakes include Urad and Hassell and other small high country bodies of water. 
Blog content © Matt Snider
Blog Comments
bron, 8/21/2020 6:07:18 PM
Great info Matt.
 
jibber, 8/23/2020 6:49:04 AM
Thanks for the update Matt. My buddy and I were going to Urad State Wildlife area, next week. Your article let us know it's closed due to the fire. We are going to Georgetown.
 
SeanLacour, 8/23/2020 9:36:22 AM
Good Update.Thanks
 
Team CO.F.F., 8/23/2020 12:43:21 PM
Thanks for posting this, very useful! Hope everyone is staying safe out there as well!!
 
FishHuntNow, 8/24/2020 7:15:40 PM
Just want these fires to stop.
 
Operation Game Thief
Call to report illegal fishing/hunting:
1-877-265-6648
(1-877-COLO-OGT)
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