Forget, if you can, all those lovely places where we find brook trout in autumn: the clear, sparkling streams where aspen leaves drift along like golden sailboats. Mountain peaks like snow cones with the first coating of snow.
With brook trout spawning time upon us, let’s focus instead on the fish itself and its rapidly evolving position in Colorado angling.
It would be an exaggeration to suggest a fish that exists in dozens of high country lakes and streams, that propagates like a rabbit with fins, is in trouble. But it is in decline.
Apart from the usual ebb and flow of environmental concerns, two factors conspire against a trout whose autumn colors outshine even the aspen trees that often flank the creeks where the fish are found.
One is a continuing natural incursion of brown trout, which, like brook trout, were introduced to Colorado during the latter part of the 19th century. More predatory and less susceptible to angling, brown trout simply outcompete brookies, ultimately replacing them over time.
Perhaps the best – or worst – example is Clear Creek, where it flows past Georgetown and Idaho Springs west of the metro area. Once primarily a brookie stronghold, the creek recently has been taken over by browns, with not a squaretail to be found. The same has happened on upper Cebolla Creek in the Gunnison Country and lesser waters too numerous to mention.
A second and equally detrimental factor at work is the concerted effort by state and federal officials to replace brook trout with native cutthroats as part of continuing restoration projects for this threatened species.
This initiative is aimed at expanding the greenback cutthroat east of the Continental Divide, the Rio Grande cutthroat and various strains of the Colorado River cutthroat in six major drainages on the Western Slope.
“We once stocked brook trout in many of those habitats. We don’t do that anymore,” said Eric Hughes, aquatic chief for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
The fact that DOW no longer plants brookies in high mountain lakes ultimately translates to fewer opportunities to catch this multicolored jewel. It’s a move necessary to rejuvenate native trout, but still at least slightly lamentable to those who love brookies so much.
In addition, DOW maintains a “bonus brookie” creel limit that allows 10 brook trout on top of the regular allotment, provided they’re less than 8 inches long. The rule reflects a tendency toward overpopulation. The notion, Hughes said, is to remove smaller fish so remaining brookies might reach larger size.
“They replace themselves very quickly,” Hughes said of a species whose autumn spawning provides a major advantage in places where brown trout competition doesn’t exist.
Hughes insists his agency maintains a warm spot for brookies where they jibe with overall management plans.
“One of our directives is to provide a diverse opportunity for anglers,” he said. “Brook trout are part of that.”
Brook trout maintain a finhold in virtually every part of the state, including several streams in Rocky Mountain National Park. On the Eastern Slope, you also will find them in Jefferson Creek near the hamlet of Jefferson and in the Lost Creek Wilderness, particularly in Long and Rock creeks.
West of the Divide, you will find them in East Brush Creek south of Eagle, Big Blue Creek near Lake City, in Heart Lake north of Glenwood Springs, in Regan Creek west of Creede and in several creeks in the Upper Fryingpan drainage.
Trappers Lake east of Meeker ranks among the more unusual brookie opportunities. It offers a chance to catch a good-sized fish, but with this caveat: Since brook trout compete here with native cutthroat, anglers are urged to remove them.
Oh, well.
Listen to Charlie Meyers at 9 a.m. each Saturday on “The Fan Outdoors,” radio KKFN 950 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
