COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is lifting fishing bag and possession limits for Pikeview Reservoir effective immediately as part of an emergency fish salvage.

Colorado Springs Utilities is lowering water levels in the reservoir (located near Garden of the Gods Rd., and Mark Dabling Blvd.) in order to unclog a partially clogged inlet pipe. Low water levels means the fish stocked in the reservoir will be at risk of being lost.

CPW biologists and employees have already been trapping and moving fish to Prospect Lake, and will likely attempt to move more during the first week of October when Colorado Spring Utilities begins draining water, but until then there will be pleanty of fish in Pikeview for local anglers to catch.

“In cases like this, we want the public to have the chance to use and consume the stocked fish rather than having most of them go to waste. It’s a great chance for local fishermen to catch and keep a lot more fish than they are normally allowed to,” said Josh Nehring, CPW senior aquatic biologist.

The emergency fish salvage is only permitted on Pikeview Reservoir; bag and possession limits will remain in affect for all other water sources.

The emergency fish salvage is only permitted during daylight hours and all legal fishing methods are allowed.

Notification will be sent out once the salvage period is closed.