Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials last week took to their pontoon boats and hit the open water — at Pueblo Reservoir, that is.

It’s that time of year again: Time to boost Colorado waterways for the Centennial State’s fishers. CPW spent just over a week collecting 127 million eggs, starting March 16, according to a news release from the wildlife agency.

By the end of spring, reservoirs across Colorado will be stocked with newborn walleye.

During the spawning period, crews launch from the North Marina at Pueblo Reservoir every morning, retrieving 32 nets placed where walleye gather to spawn, according to the news release.

Once the nets are carefully gathered, the fish are transported back to the boathouse, where biologists and volunteers sort them, preparing males and maturing females for spawning.

The spawning process involves collecting eggs — roe from female fish and milt from male fish — then combining them by mixing with a goose feather: a gentle approach to fertilization.

This year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will collaborate with other state wildlife agencies, trading female walleye roe with male sauger milt, to breed a hybrid of the two, creating a saugeye. This will boost fisheries for longtime fishers and newcomers to the recreational sport, the news release stated.

“After fertilization, eggs are transported to the Pueblo Hatchery where Colorado Parks and Wildlife hatchery technicians oversee incubation and care for the developing fish,” the news release stated.

Once fish are hatched, the cycle is complete and they are returned to reservoirs around Colorado.

The walleye spawning efforts by CPW at Pueblo and Cherry Creek Reservoirs started in 1986, with the spawning goal changing each season. In 2025, the wildlife agency’s goal was to collect 130 million eggs statewide, according to Gazette news partner KOAA.