When Chris Refakis first started fishing in Summit County in 1991, there were no northern pike in Green Mountain Reservoir. Slowly, over time, the invasive species took hold in the water, feeding off native trout populations and threatening the fragile aquatic ecosystem. 

For the past few years, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has implemented systems of rewards to rid the reservoir of its unwelcome inhabitant. This year, parks and wildlife is hosting a tournament, open now through Sept. 30, in which anglers can win up to $500 for catching northern pike. 

“It’s all about just getting those fish out of the reservoir,” said Refakis, a former fishing guide and employee at Cutthroat Anglers in Silverthorne. “The only other way to get them out would be to net or drain the reservoir. It’s a way to try to keep all the other fish while removing those.” 

The person who catches the most northern pike each month will receive $500, with second and third place receiving $250 and $150, respectively. The person under age 17 who catches the most pike will receive $100. Additionally, for each pike a person catches, they automatically are given an entry in a random drawing to win $100. The month’s top three anglers are not eligible for the random drawing. 

To enter, fishers must register for the Green Mountain Reservoir Management Tournament and upload pictures of their catches to an app called Fishing Chaos. All participants over age 16 must have a valid state fishing license and must obey all applicable laws and regulations.

The contest aims to protect more than just the Green Mountain Reservoir itself. Invasive fish in the reservoir can easily make their way into the Colorado River, which feeds from the reservoir and flows throughout the Southwest. 

“Pike can escape those reservoirs and end up in rivers and other places where they’re not supposed to be,” Refakis said. “They get in there and corrupt that ecosystem as well.” 

While Colorado has numerous other aquatic invasive species, the northern pike pose a particular threat due to their feeding and mating habits. 

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“Non-native northern pike are very difficult to manage because they’re prolific breeders. They lay thousands upon thousands of eggs,” said Cody Lujon, a former fly fishing guide and conservationist. “They’re also prolific eaters.”

Lujon, a Yampa River Valley native, said the situation here is reminiscent of what he has seen in his hometown. 

“If you turn just to the west, we had this exact problem happen here on the Yampa River in Steamhouse Springs,” he said. “Anecdotally, there’s typically a population boom of the newly introduced non-native species, followed by a crash in the native or localized other fish populations.” 

He says that parks and wildlife measures there have helped restore balance to the ecosystem, and that initiatives like the tournament play a major role in keeping invasive populations in check. 

“At the end of the day, it’s incumbent upon every sportsperson in Colorado to sit back and listen to and move forward with the recommendations of the biologists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” he said.