New fishing regulations on way as Dillon Reservoir brown trout decline

For decades, Dillon Reservoir has been a place where anglers could hook the fish of a lifetime — a 10-pound, 30-inch wild brown trout.

But the brown trout population in one of Colorado’s most visible and accessible mountain reservoirs has declined in recent years, prompting state wildlife officials to consider stricter fishing regulations on the reservoir and seasonal closures on nearby waters.

It’s unclear exactly what is causing the decline, said Jon Ewert, an aquatic biologist at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. But increased fishing during the pandemic, and after, may be a factor.

“We don’t know for certain whether harvest or fishing pressure is playing a large role, but we know the angling traffic has increased in the last few years since COVID,” Ewert said. “We want to…