Just like you wouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car without a license, you shouldn’t get on the water without a fishing license.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife collected $125M in license fees last year, according to the CPW 2019 Fact Sheet. That includes park permit entrance fees, hunting licenses and fishing licenses. State parks also receive funding from federal and state grants and loans, the lottery, donations, sales, registrations and the state General fund and severance tax.
Yet it’s not enough to meet budget forecasts in the years ahead.
Former Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the Hunting, Fishing and Parks for Future Generations Act into law in May 2018. It provides the CPW its first notable cash infusion in 13 years and was initiated to help funding shortfalls of $30M annually for wildlife and $11M annually for parks by 2025. It allows CPW to enact modest increases to state park entrance fees and both resident and non-resident hunting and fishing licenses.
The 2017 Economic Contributions of Outdoor Recreation in Colorado issued by Southwick Associates, stated that 92% of Coloradans enjoy outdoor recreation. The most popular activities are walking and hiking followed by picnicking, camping and fishing. The CPS now offers a Fishing App free via both Google Play and the App Store that identifies more than 2,000 fishing locations in Colorado and the type of fishing at each location, stream gauges, species available, accessibility, family-friendliness and more.
Adults aged 16 years and older must purchase and have in their possession a fishing license in order to fish or transport fish caught in Colorado. Those under 16 years can fish and take a full limit without a license. The cost of a license varies with residency, in state and out of state. Seniors aged 64+ pay $1 annually for a license. Anyone who fishes with a second line must have a second rod stamp.
Colorado law requires anglers to carry their fishing license in their possession while fishing, and carrying fish from the water. Game officers are permitted to inspect your license when you’re fishing or when it appears you’re coming or going from fishing.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife establish checkpoints (just like DUI checkpoints) where officers can search your vehicle and ask for proof of a fishing license.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues hundreds of fishing violations every year for licensing violations, daily limit violations and unlawful possession of fish, etc. A fishing ticket for not having a license (or the right license) can have lasting repercussions on your ability to hunt and fish nationwide.
You can access the official state fishing license regulations here:
https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/RulesRegs/Brochure/fishing.pdf
And you can get your fishing license easily online at: https://www.cpwshop.com/licensing.page. Got questions, call us at Montrose Anglers and will walk you through getting your license. It’s your ticket to a thrilling day on the river.