Fishing Areas

• Fisherman can launch canoes on any of Colorado's 4,084 bodies of water or drift down the calmer sections of rivers and streams. Colorado angler and fishing author Karen Christopherson likes to float rivers and creeks, saying that boaters can easily find fish in spots that are impossible to reach from shore.
  
  

Colorado Regulations

• Each fisherman in the canoe must possess a valid fishing license from the Division of Wildlife (DOW). The Colorado fishing season runs all year long. According to the DOW, the only state limitations for canoe fisherman are at Carter Lake and Pueblo Reservoir, where fish cannot be cleaned or filleted inside the boat; local authorities may have additional rules.
  
  

Aquatic Invaders

• Colorado waters are threatened by invading species, such as zebra and quagga mussels. To prevent the spread of these species, canoes should be clean and dry before launching. See information posted by the Colorado DOW at boating ramps or in its 2010 fishing brochure for details on canoe cleaning.