BRIGHTON, Colo. (KDVR) – April 1 is a big day for boat lovers in Colorado. It is opening day for boat season.
Before you buy that boat and hit the water, however, there are some rules and regulations to keep you legal and safe.
Cousins and fishing buddies Christian Johnson and Coy Nations did not waste any time Friday morning. They loaded up their Tracker boat, bought some bait and headed to the Barr — Barr Lake that is.
But why does Colorado have a boating season to begin with?
“We have to have the weather. We have ice, you can’t go on the lakes all season,” Barr Lake State Park manager Michelle Seubert said.
If you have been bitten by the boating bug, just know that watercraft are regulated almost like cars and many of them need to be licensed.
“Any boat that has a motor, whether it’s a canoe or a kayak or a fishing boat – if you put a motor on it, it has to be registered in the state of Colorado,” Seubert said.
Of all those rules and regulations, the one you should get hooked on is safety. This includes personal floatation devices.
Boaters come to Colorado from around the country to bathe their bows in some of the country’s most beautiful settings.
Christian and Coy think Barr Lake is a keeper.
“Yeah, this is our second year with the boat, pretty excited to get out on the water early this year, compared to last year,” Christian said.