South Platte River, Littleton
FISH SURVEY AND MANAGEMENT DATA Paul Winkle, Aquatic Biologist, Denver [email protected] / 303-291-7232
General Information: The South Platte River, with its headwaters in South Park, flows out of Water- ton Canyon onto the plains of the Denver Metro area just upstream from Chatfield Reservoir. After exiting the reservoir, the river flows through the metro area and then northeast past Fort Morgan, Sterling, and other eastern Colorado towns before joining with the North Platte River in Nebraska to form the Platte River. There is excellent public access in the Littleton section, which is located within South Suburban Park. Location: Littleton, between C470 and Reynolds Landing, north of the Carson Nature Center. Fishery Management: Cold and warmwater angling. Annual Survey Data: (see page 2)
Amenities and General Info. Previous Stocking Sportfishing Notes Approximately 2 1/2 miles of continuous public access 2019 Although this section of the within South Suburban Park Rainbow Trout South Platte River is stocked by way of cement walking/ with rainbow trout, several bike path 2018 species of fish escape through Parking available at the Rainbow Trout Chatfield dam into the river. junction of C470 and the These species include wall- South Platte River, and at 2017 eye, channel catfish, rainbow Carson Nature Center Rainbow Trout trout, and smallmouth bass Restrooms at the parking lot Smallmouth bass and brown at C470 and the South Platte 2016 trout sustain their river popu- River, and at Carson Nature Rainbow Trout lations through natural repro- Center duction 2015 A major fish habitat improve- Rainbow Trout ment project was completed Fishing Regulations here within the past several General regulations apply 2014 years, narrowing the channel Rainbow Trout to create deeper water. Most of the gamefish are in 2013 the deeper holes and along Rainbow Trout riprap river banks.
2012 Rainbow Trout
South Platte River, Littleton
FISH SURVEY AND MANAGEMENT DATA Paul Winkle, Aquatic Biologist, Denver [email protected] / 303-291-7232
The figure on the left shows the proportion of the different South Platte River, Littleton, 2015 Fish species fish collected in the portion of the South Platte Survey River between C470 and Mineral Avenue. White suck- ers comprised the highest 13% 14% percentage (45%). This spe- cies is native to the South 11% Platte, and young fish pro- 14% Walleye vide an important food 3% source for predators such as Smallmouth Bass brown trout and smallmouth White Sucker bass. Walleye and small- mouth bass each comprised Brown Trout 14% of the sample. Wall- eyes are not stocked here, 45% Rainbow Trout but escape through the Chat- field Dam. Stocked rainbow Other trout comprised 11%, and brown trout 3%. Brown trout are not stocked, but repro- duce naturally.
The figure below shows the length frequencies in 2015 of the various gamefish species. Walleyes up to 18” were col- lected, smallmouth bass to 14”, rainbow trout to 13”, brown trout to 12”, and channel catfish to 31”! Smallmouth bass originally got into the river from Chatfield Dam, but now sustain their river population through natural reproduction.
South Platte River, Littleton 2015 Length Frequencies 14 12 Smallmouth Bass 10 Rainbow Trout 8 Brown Trout 6 Channel Catfish Walleye Number Fish of 4 2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 Length (inches)