After years of coordination, Colorado Parks and Wildlife aims to stock sterile walleye into the reservoir at Ridgway State Park during the spring of 2024.
 
“This is part of a larger goal to increase angling opportunities in western Colorado in a way that is compatible with the native species of the Upper Colorado River Basin,” said CPW aquatic biologist Eric Gardunio. “This will diversify the fishery while still allowing us to maintain and accomplish other management goals within the reservoir.
 
Ridgway Reservoir will receive 30,000 1.2-inch long walleye fingerlings annually beginning in May, provided successful sterilization is achieved. This is a relatively low stocking rate when compared to other walleye fisheries in the state.
 
Ridgway Reservoir has abundant populations of white suckers, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and crayfish. The juveniles of these species offer a robust food resource for species such as sterile walleye. When appropriate stocking rates are utilized, those prey sources should be sustainable into the future. The walleye will also help CPW with management of the smallmouth bass.