The answer? Some pretty good fishing -- as long as the weather holds.

"I would say that the overall state of the fishery is good to excellent," Knox said. "We had reasonable moisture last year, especially in the eastern half of the state, so stream flows held up pretty well. On the western side, things are not as good water wise, but the fishing has been absolutely excellent."

If the winter of 2004/05 has delivered average or better snowfall rates in the state's high country, then the trout outlook should be a rosy one this year. Here's a region-by-region look at what Colorado's anglers can expect when they wade into trout country this year:

CENTRAL COLORADO
There's little doubt that in most years, this part of the state receives a lion's share of fishing attention from anglers hoping to find a willing trout eager to inhale their dry fly or to attack their Mepps spinner.

And for good reason too, I might add. After all, central Colorado boasts some of the state's best trout water, none perhaps more famous than the world-renowned Fryingpan River.

Year in and year out, the Pan seldom disappoints those who ply its rich waters tumbling from the high country of the Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness on down through the dam of Ruedi Reservoir and the steep red-rocked canyon country toward the river's confluence with the Roaring Fork River at Basalt.

This year should be no different, according to Knox, who rates the Pan as perhaps the state's best overall trout stream these days.

"I'm pretty sure it is the Fryingpan River," said Knox, while noting that he expects good fishing on the stream in 2005 despite intense angling pressure. "It's still an A+ stream. It's a tailwater fishery and it probably has the greatest biomass per acre of water for any stream in the state."

Of course, the Fryingpan, with its legendary Mysis shrimp-fed rainbow trout pigs, is hardly the only place to fish in central Colorado. Knox expects some of the region's other top trout streams to excel in 2005 as well. Those waters include the Blue River near Silverthorne, which the biologist ranks as Colorado's fifth best overall trout stream at the moment, and the Roaring Fork River from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, which he calls the state's sixth best overall trout stream.

"The Blue River would be a good number five," Knox said. "It also is a tailwater fishery with excellent public access. The trout population seems to be doing well and is improving. The Blue is just a very, very pleasant river to fish. Between Silverthorne and Green Mountain Reservoir, we probably have as much public access along the Blue River as we do along some other rivers. There's a lot of national forest land and a number of campgrounds. Plus there's the opportunity to catch kokanee salmon in the fall as an added bonus. I'd give it a B+, mainly because it doesn't have quite the density or biomass of fish as the (rivers) on the A list do."

As already mentioned, the Roaring Fork River also makes Knox's short list of top trout streams in Colorado for 2005.

"I'd give it a B+," Knox said. "It's a gold medal water and it's also improved a little bit with the lack of big runoff. That has allowed the trout population to expand."

Historically, Knox says, the stretch from Carbondale down to Glenwood Springs ranks as perhaps some of the Roaring Fork's best overall water, especially for those who are able to float the river. From all appearances, little should change the river's solid gold reputation this year.