There are Colorado’s Gold Medal Waters, that time-honored distinction for trophy-yielding fisheries. Now the state is honoring a new class.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is promoting “Colorado Quality Waters” — 53 lakes and streams said to “contain productive, quality fisheries, providing a top-tier experience for anglers.”

A recent news release said a team of agency biologists behind the state’s fish management picked the 53 waters based on sampling records, surveys and “professional biological assessments.”

Across Colorado’s 6,000 miles of streams and 1,300-plus lakes and reservoirs, the “Quality Waters” are said to stand out. They are showcased on an interactive map that provides descriptions, rules and insights.

They include the well-known South Platte, Arkansas and Blue rivers — among Colorado’s 11 Gold Medal rivers. The three Gold Medal lakes are Spinney Mountain, Steamboat and North Delaney Butte.

The “Quality Waters” list highlights the lesser-known.

Front Range anglers know about Boyd Lake near Loveland — “arguably the best Colorado fishery for white bass and spring panfish,” by CPW’s account. Maybe enthusiasts are less aware of Jackson Lake, “arguably the best current warm water fishing opportunity for walleye, saugeye and wiper on Colorado’s northeastern plains,” praises CPW.

To the opposite, southeast plains lies Adobe Creek Reservoir, noted for “abundant catfish” that swim with largemouth bass and walleye. Meanwhile the rare mountain whitefish swims in the “Quality”-selected Elk River, stretching through the state’s northwest mountains.

State Forest State Park spans those mountains, where Kelly Lake can be found. It requires a seven-mile hike, “but the adventurous may be rewarded with excellent cutthroat trout fishing as well as stunning views,” reads the note on the Quality Waters list.

The list calls attention to other small-but-teeming stretches, including Treasure Creek through Archuleta and Conejos counties. The creek is said to boast several waterfalls and a healthy cutthroat trout population.

For the interactive map featuring all 53 fisheries, go to: https://tinyurl.com/yvd3eyts