Highline Lake opens for boating
Colorado Parks and Wildlife announces Highline Lake will reopen for boating beginning Saturday, May 17, at 7 a.m.
"We want to thank our boating community for their understanding during this time," said Highline Lake State Park Manager Alan Martinez. "We greatly appreciate your patience and are excited to be able to reopen the lake once again to boating."
In anticipation of welcoming boats back to Highline Lake, the boat ramp located on the west side of the park received much-needed repairs, including a new concrete pad in 2024. Upgrades to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) inspection and decontamination stations were also made in early 2025 in anticipation of a busy boating season.
Recreational boaters and anglers can expect similar boating protocols as they did in 2023 for the upcoming 2025 boating season. These changes were implemented after the discovery of zebra mussels in September of 2022, prompting CPW to designate Highline Lake as Colorado's first infested body of water.
Boating hours for 2025:
- May 17 to May 23, boating will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- May 24 through Labor Day Weekend, boating will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What to expect for the 2025 boating season:
- Boats launching at Highline Lake will be subject to inspection and decontamination protocols before launching.
- All boats must be clean, drained and dry before launching at Highline Lake, or they will be decontaminated.
- Upon exiting the lake, all boats will be inspected and decontaminated, and boaters will be issued a green seal and a blue receipt indicating the boat was last used on a body of water with a known aquatic nuisance species.
"Our efforts to fight the zebra mussel infestation at Highline Lake will continue," said Robert Walters, Invasive Species Program Manager. "We remain hopeful that draining the lake has eradicated zebra mussels however, Highline Lake will be considered infested until we have five consecutive years of negative results. During this time, boats leaving Highline Lake will require decontamination as part of our ongoing efforts to stop zebra mussels from spreading further within our state."
In addition to inspection and decontamination protocols, boaters are reminded that Wakeless Wednesdays will be in effect every Wednesday through September 30. This does not eliminate motorized boating on Wednesdays. However, no boat or watercraft is allowed to operate at speeds that create a wake. Any motorized boat that enters Highline Lake during this time is required to go through inspection and decontamination protocols.
Following the return of normal water levels, CPW will begin restocking Highline Lake. Initially, catchable trout will be harvestable for anglers. "Our goal is to rebuild a robust and diverse fishery that offers fishing opportunities for a variety of desirable warmwater fish as well as seasonal fishing opportunities for cold water rainbow trout," said Kristina Morben, Grand Junction Area Aquatic Biologist. "Rebuilding this renowned fishery will take time, but we are committed to rebuilding so it is once again a destination fishery."
Bag and possession limits for fish were temporarily removed from Highline Lake in 2024 to allow anglers to harvest as many fish as possible before the draining of the lake. Effective immediately, emergency regulations for Highline Lake have been removed, and the normal fishing regulations now apply. More details on the fishing regulations at Highline Lake can be found in the 2025 fishing brochure.
"We want to thank our boating community for their understanding during this time," said Highline Lake State Park Manager Alan Martinez. "We greatly appreciate your patience and are excited to be able to reopen the lake once again to boating."
In anticipation of welcoming boats back to Highline Lake, the boat ramp located on the west side of the park received much-needed repairs, including a new concrete pad in 2024. Upgrades to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) inspection and decontamination stations were also made in early 2025 in anticipation of a busy boating season.
Recreational boaters and anglers can expect similar boating protocols as they did in 2023 for the upcoming 2025 boating season. These changes were implemented after the discovery of zebra mussels in September of 2022, prompting CPW to designate Highline Lake as Colorado's first infested body of water.
Boating hours for 2025:
- May 17 to May 23, boating will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- May 24 through Labor Day Weekend, boating will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
What to expect for the 2025 boating season:
- Boats launching at Highline Lake will be subject to inspection and decontamination protocols before launching.
- All boats must be clean, drained and dry before launching at Highline Lake, or they will be decontaminated.
- Upon exiting the lake, all boats will be inspected and decontaminated, and boaters will be issued a green seal and a blue receipt indicating the boat was last used on a body of water with a known aquatic nuisance species.
"Our efforts to fight the zebra mussel infestation at Highline Lake will continue," said Robert Walters, Invasive Species Program Manager. "We remain hopeful that draining the lake has eradicated zebra mussels however, Highline Lake will be considered infested until we have five consecutive years of negative results. During this time, boats leaving Highline Lake will require decontamination as part of our ongoing efforts to stop zebra mussels from spreading further within our state."
In addition to inspection and decontamination protocols, boaters are reminded that Wakeless Wednesdays will be in effect every Wednesday through September 30. This does not eliminate motorized boating on Wednesdays. However, no boat or watercraft is allowed to operate at speeds that create a wake. Any motorized boat that enters Highline Lake during this time is required to go through inspection and decontamination protocols.
Following the return of normal water levels, CPW will begin restocking Highline Lake. Initially, catchable trout will be harvestable for anglers. "Our goal is to rebuild a robust and diverse fishery that offers fishing opportunities for a variety of desirable warmwater fish as well as seasonal fishing opportunities for cold water rainbow trout," said Kristina Morben, Grand Junction Area Aquatic Biologist. "Rebuilding this renowned fishery will take time, but we are committed to rebuilding so it is once again a destination fishery."
Bag and possession limits for fish were temporarily removed from Highline Lake in 2024 to allow anglers to harvest as many fish as possible before the draining of the lake. Effective immediately, emergency regulations for Highline Lake have been removed, and the normal fishing regulations now apply. More details on the fishing regulations at Highline Lake can be found in the 2025 fishing brochure.
