CPW lifts the voluntary afternoon closure on Pueblo’s Arkansas River tailwater

The afternoon break on Pueblo’s Arkansas River tailwater is over. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said Oct. 1, 2026, that it has lifted, effective immediately, the voluntary fishing closure it sent out Aug. 6. Anglers had been asked to stay off the river from noon to midnight between Pueblo Boulevard East and the confluence with Fountain Creek.

CPW put that request on after low flows and high water temperatures made the reach hard on fish, especially fish that were caught and released. Cooler weather and more precipitation have improved conditions there. Aquatic biologist Carrie Tucker said the agency appreciates anglers and guides who gave fish a break during a difficult summer, and that biologists will keep watching flows, temperatures, and fish health, including the chance of low water this fall and winter. She said another closure could go on if conditions deteriorate.

This reach is separate from the southwest Colorado voluntary closures CPW lifted at the end of September. Check the 2026 Weather and Drought Closures page before you drive.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife release, via EIN Presswire (Oct. 1, 2026). Also: SECO News and KRDO.