A team of Colorado Fisheries biologists were busy Friday morning save as many fish as possible From Antero Reservoir, a popular trophy trout lake that is draining and closing due to drought. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the rescue operation was successful, with about 1,000 trout being netted and transferred to nearby water bodies.
Antero Reservoir (Fish Rescue Operation)
“There are a lot of good fish in Antero. So we’re trying to move them,” said Kyle Battiz, one of CPW’s senior aquatic biologists. a video Operation highlights. “Two-thirds of (the fish) were brown trout ranging from six inches to, oh my God, I mean maybe up to 28 inches. There are some nice fish in there.”
The remaining fish rescued – 981 total – were mostly large rainbows and cutbows, along with a tiger trout and a tiger muskie. After concentrating these fish in one of the reservoir’s outlets, the crew used nets and an electrofishing rig to stun and catch as many trout as possible. The fish were then transferred in hatchery trucks to Eleven Mile Reservoir, a larger reservoir that is part of the same chain of lakes.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife had been planning this operation since April denver waterThe utility that owns Antero announced it was draining the reservoir as part of its drought response plan. Although the news was a major disappointment to nearby Front Range fishermen, it was no surprise given the circumstances – and the fact that Antero was built for this very purpose. The reservoir was drained for maintenance in 2002 as part of the same drought response plan and again in 2015.
The historically weak winter of 2025–26 led to the lowest snowfall levels in Colorado’s recorded history, while a scorching heat in March compounded what DW called “a season of extreme snowfall and runoff.” Without enough snowmelt to recharge the watershed, the utility was forced to drain the Antero to support the Cheesman Reservoir, which supplies drinking water for more than one million people in the Denver metro area.
“Antero is a dry reservoir, designed to provide water to our customers during severe drought,” said Nathan Elder, DW water supply manager. April 1st statement. “Consolidating this water into Cheesman will help us make the most of the water we have.”
Following DW’s announcement, CPW enacted an emergency fish rescue act At Antero, bag limits were lifted until May 13, when the reservoir was officially closed to the public. (It will remain closed to public access until 2026, and there is no indication of when it will reopen.) At that time, local guides and fishermen were expecting CPW will organize a rescue operation to relocate some of Antero’s trophy trout before the lake dries up.
Although no fisherman likes to see their favorite lake dry up, Antero’s drying up will help reduce populations of other fish like suckers that compete with trout, Battite said last week. (He said many of Antero’s resident trout had already fallen to other reservoirs during and after public rescues.) The water reduction would encourage more vegetation growth on the banks and increase the amount of nutrients available to aquatic insects and other forage species. In this light, Batit said that the drawdown serves as a “hard reset” that will help Antero return to its former glory when it refills in the future.
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“And (these shortcomings) are really part of the reason why Antero is the fishery it is today,” Batty said. “Once we have water again, Denver Water will start filling it … and when it’s suitable for fish, CPW will start stocking again. And, you know, it’s going to be good again. We are dedicated and committed to getting Antero back.”
