Fishing now allowed for first time at Rueter-Hess Reservoir

EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Local residents looking for a place for recreational shing now have Rueter-Hess Reservoir — near Parker and Castle Pines — as an option for the rst-ever time, Douglas County says.

Catch-and-release shing at the reservoir will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, starting Aug. 4 and running through October.

“To maintain the vitality of the sh, a limited number of shing opportunities will be available each day the reservoir is open,” the county said in a news release. Reservations are required and were to open online at 9 a.m. Aug. 2.

Each day that shing is open, 25 adult anglers with valid state shing licenses will be allowed to sh.

ose younger than 16, who are not required by the state to have a license, are not required to register but may still sh, the news release says.

You can sh from the shore or a paddleboard, kayak or canoe.

ere is no cost to sh at the reservoir, but the county asks that you reserve your spot ahead of time.

ose planning to drive into the reservoir need a daytime parking pass, which costs $10 per vehicle.

You can register for shing and a parking pass at the same time at douglas.co.us/rueter-hess-recreation/reservations-rueter-hess.

e reservoir has been stocked with walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, wiper (striped hybrid bass), channel cat sh, black crappie and blue gill. Only arti cial lures and ies, and barbless single hooks, are allowed, and bait is not allowed. Tackle boxes and licenses will be checked, the news release says. ere is “no discussion at this time” on whether non-catch-andrelease shing will be o ered at the reservoir in the future, said Wendy Holmes, county spokesperson.

Other water activities e reservoir remains open for non-motorized water activities including paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays into late October. Motorized or belly boats are not allowed.

(Swimming is also not allowed, Holmes said, noting that the reservoir is primarily a drinking-water source.)

Access to the reservoir is free. Again, those who want to drive and park at the reservoir need a one-day parking pass for $10 per vehicle.

New oversight of recreation

Douglas County’s elected leaders recently approved an agreement to take charge of recreation at Rueter- e change means more time for paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking starting with this year’s water recreation season at the reservoir, now already underway. e reservoir is a drinking-water storage facility owned and operated by the Parker Water and Sanitation District, the entity that provides drinking water to much of Parker and some nearby areas. e county website describes the reservoir as a place for “history bu s, day hikers, dog walkers, water-sport enthusiasts, and local anthropologists alike.”

Hess Reservoir, in a move that the county said would allow for more access.

Opportunities to enjoy the reservoir area were to expand based on the agreement by the county and the municipalities that sit near the water, providing more sta and a streamlined nancial structure for overseeing recreation.

Getting there e reservoir area sits o Hess Road just west of Heirloom Parkway, generally between the City of Castle Pines and the Town of Parker.

It’s accessible about 4 miles east of the interchange of Interstate 25 and Castle Pines Parkway, which becomes Hess Road, or about 4 miles west of the intersection of Parker Road and Hess Road.

Construction to add a new pipeline near the reservoir is ongoing, so you may see construction tra c at the entrance, the news release says.

For more, see the county’s website at tinyurl.com/ BeforeYouGoRueterHess.

Thu 8/17

Denver Broncos

@ 9am

Centura Health Training Center, 13655 E. Broncos Pkwy., Englewood

The Newarkansans live at The Inverness HIlton Denver @ 4pm

Hilton Denver Inverness, 200 Inverness Dr W, Englewood

Featured

Featured

TEN - Colorado Tribute to Pearl

Jam: TEN - A Tribute to Pearl Jam at Tailgate Tavern @ 6pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Sat 8/19

Crazy Dave, Bass Guitarist: Resonance Debuts | Tailgate Tavern

@ 5pm Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker

Fri 8/18

Cory Michael @ 1pm Wide Open Saloon, 5607 US-85, Sedalia

Electric Whiskey Experiment @ 5pm

Sunroom Brewing, 3242 S Acoma St, Englewood

Featured

Neil Z: Brightenstar @ Black Bear

@ 4:30pm Black Bear Golf Club, 11400 Can‐terberry Pkwy,, Parker

Fleming Mansion Walkthrough (about 45 days before event)

@ 6pm Fleming Mansion, 1510 S. Grant St., Den‐ver. 720-913-0654

Steve Everett: Earth Angel Fest @ 4pm

Earth Angel Barn, Fo��eld

Crazy Dave, Bass Guitarist: Fleatwood Mac Tribute | Tailgate Tavern & Grill @ 6pm

Tailgate Tavern & Grill, 19552 Mainstreet, Parker powered by

Tom Mcelvain Music @ 6pm private House concert - Castle Rock, CO, Castle Rock

George Porter Jr.: Conscious Alliance All Star Bene�t @ 6pm Cherry Hills Village Community Develop‐ment, 2450 E Quincy Ave, Englewood

Kristopher James: Earth Angel Festival 2023 @ 6pm null, 7231 S Quintero St, Fo��eld

6 Million Dollar Band @ 6pm Pindustry, 7939 E Arapahoe Rd, Centen‐nial

Resist & Bite @ 6pm Wild Goose Saloon, Parker

Jude Brothers @ 7pm Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Resist @ 7pm Wild Goose Saloon, 11160 S. Pikes Peak Drive, Parker

Grayson Little Music: Grayson

Little & The Sunday Drivers at Concert Under The Lights @ 6pm Festival Park, 300 2nd St, Castle Rock

Sun 8/20 Thu 8/24

Read Southall Band @ 6pm Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Engle‐wood

Rotating Tap Comedy @ Coal Mine Ave Brewing @ 6pm Coal Mine Ave Brewing Company, 9719 W Coal Mine Ave unit a, Lit‐tleton