A section of the Yampa River near the Fish Creek confluence will be closed to fishing from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15 to protect spawning mountain whitefish, according to a statement released by the city Wednesday.

The closure includes the pool where Fish Creek meets the Yampa, an approximately 0.4-mile stretch of Fish Creek upstream to the Rollingstone Drive Bridge, and extends 100 feet upstream and 200 feet downstream along the Yampa River from the confluence. Clear signage will be posted to notify river users of the closure.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is partnering with the city of Steamboat Springs to enact the annual closure with the aim of protecting spawning mountain whitefish, a native species whose population has declined sharply in recent years. The whitefish are one of only two native sport fish in the Yampa River and White River drainages, and protection during their spawning season is considered vital to the species’ survival.

“This closure is a vital management tool,” CPW Public Information Officer Rachael Gonzales said in the statement. “By giving whitefish the space to spawn, we’re working to keep this native species from slipping away.”

The closure is part of a broader conservation effort under the Yampa River Health Assessment and Streamflow Management Plan, which aims to maintain robust native fish populations and ensure healthy river ecosystems for the future.