Starting Thursday, it’s a free-for-all for fish on Haviland Lake as wildlife officials prepare to drain the reservoir north of Durango.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced all bag and possession limits for fishing at Haviland Lake have been lifted – which means anglers can keep as much fish as they want – until Sept. 30. CPW said that earlier this summer, a total of 13,500 fish were stocked in the reservoir.
The reservoir, about 18 miles north of Durango off U.S. Highway 550, will be drained after Labor Day, Sept. 2, so repairs can be made to the dam’s outlet structure, CPW said. The work should be completed in about two months. After the repairs, the lake will begin to fill naturally.
Anglers must still have a valid Colorado fishing license, and fish may be taken only by lawful angling methods – nets and seines are not permitted, and commercial fishing is not allowed.
The U.S. Forest Service manages the campground at Haviland Lake, but CPW owns the dam, and the 80-acre reservoir is part of Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area. Campground facilities will close Sept. 9.