Public fish salvage opens at Hugo Ponds ahead of maintenance work

Colorado Parks and Wildlife authorizes a public fish salvage beginning Tuesday, Sept 1 at Hugo Ponds on the Hugo State Wildlife Area due to upcoming aquatic habitat maintenance that requires temporarily draining several ponds. The salvage is intended to optimize use of the fishery resource in accordance with Parks and Wildlife Commission Regulation 104.G.

Hugo SWA is an approximately 2,000‑acre property featuring 19 ponds that support warmwater fishing and provide valuable wildlife habitat in a region with limited public access. A recent road improvement project was completed to reduce sediment entering the ponds and protect this important resource. The next phase of work, spring maintenance, begins this fall and will require CPW to lower water levels in select ponds.