Colorado Parks To Kill All Miramonte Fish

Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan to kill all Miramonte Reservoir fish. Miramonte Reservoir is a small reservoir in Colorado that has been taken over by invasive smallmouth bass.

Because they don’t feel the smallmouth bass population can be limited, they are allowing anglers to keep and kill as many bronzebacks as they want and then will be poisoning the entire fish population.

Read this article to see what they plan to do:

Colorado Parks To Kill All Miramonte Fish

Colorado Parks and Wildlife plans to kill all the fish in Miramonte Reservoir west of Montrose.

This is because of smallmouth bass that have become entrenched there, apparently after people illegally moved those fish into the lake.

The agency will use an organic pesticide to kill all the fish in the reservoir and then rebuild the population. This will happen next year.

In the meantime, Parks and Wildlife is implementing an emergency order that removes all bag and possession limits on smallmouth bass at Miramonte Reservoir.

“Killing all the fish in the reservoir lake is something we wish we didn’t have to do, but we know we must,” said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose. “People who illegally move fish into lakes, ponds and rivers are not only committing a criminal act, they are endangering native species, stealing a resource and recreational opportunity from thousands of anglers and negatively impacting the local community.” Source

More information about Miramonte Reservoir:

Located near Norwood at the base of Lone Cone Peak. 40 sites for campers, handicapped accessible fishing pier and two boat ramps. Water-skiing and windsurfing allowed. Stocked with 90,000 fish annually. 14-day camping limit. Source

This reservoir has been a popular trout fishing location and it is heavily stocked for anglers.

Do you think this is an appropriate response to smallmouth bass damaging the trout fishery? What should be done?

Feel free to comment on the Colorado Parks plan to kill all Miramonte fish and wipe out the smallmouth bass population.