Spring quickens the responses of anglers across Colorado, at least those who prefer their water unfrozen and moving.

Holders of annual fishing licenses should remember their 2015 license expires March 31. The 2016 annual licenses are valid April 1 through March 31, 2017.

Anglers in western Colorado face several recent changes in the state fishing regulations announced by  Colorado Parks and Wildlife at the recent Parks and Wildlife commission meeting in Denver.

The list of changes begins with Colorado’s Gold Medal waters, those considered the “best of the best,” where both quantity and quality of fish are considered for this exclusive listing.

There has been one Gold Medal delisting (a 19-mile section of the Blue River below Silverthorne) and a countering addition, a 24-mile section of the Colorado below Kremmling.

You can read the Parks and Wildlife press release here.

Other changes in fishing regulations of interest to anglers in southwest Colorado include two at Blue Mesa Reservoir that go hand-in-hand.

Parks and Wildlife biologists removed the bag and possession limits on lake trout (with a limit of one fish per day over 32 inches) and at the same time cut the bag and possession limit on kokanee salmon to five and 10 respectively.

Crawford Reservoir has a one-fish over 18 inches bag and possession for largemouth bass and no limits on yellow perch. Read more here.