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. 24 . of poor past results with trout stocking, the reservoir is presently managed as an intensive use put and take fishery featuring creel-sized rainbow trout. Some kokanee salmon fingerlings are also stocked to increase the diversity of angling opportunities. Wild brown trout spawn in the upper Conejos and immigrate to the reservoir in small numbers (Table 4). Fishing pressure at Platoro Reservoir is relatively low. The reservoir is in a remote location and the nearest large town is Alamosa, which is 80 miles away. Travel to the reservoir requires a 17-mile trip on a gravel access road. Boat launch facilities are primitive. The reservoir is steep-sided which makes bank fishing somewhat difficult. Total fishing pressure at Platoro is estimated to be approximately 7,000 hours per year with a CPAH of about 0.40. Because of generally poor access and facilities, the augmentation of the Platoro Reservoir fish community with trophy-sized tiger muskie probably will not cause measurable change in fishing pressure. It is unknown whether the angling public has strong feelings regarding tiger muskie management at Platoro or whether it would meet with public approval. If trophy tiger muskie were successfully established, white sucker would be an important food item. The conversion of a portion of the white sucker biomass to trophy tiger muskie would generally be a positive influence on the overall fishery. Diminishing numbers of suckers may allow increased growth or survival of trout and salmon. However, concurrent with a white sucker population decline, predation on creel-sized rainbow trout, kokanee salmon and brown trout will increase. Therefore, it is unknown whether the salmonid fishery in the reservoir would show measurable improvement. The large annual drawdowns which Platoro Reservoir experiences make tiger muskie escapement into the drainages downstream possible. Thus, tigermuskie could come into contact with fish communities in the Conejos and Rio Grande rivers. The river immediately below Platoro is occupied by wild brown trout and creel-sized rainbow trout. In addition, several miles of the Conejos are managed by stocking fingerling trout under the protection of special fishing regulation in an attempt to provide a quality trout fishery. It is likely that escaped tiger muskie would prey on brown and rainbow trout in both areas. Despite an extensive irrigation system of diversions and canals, a sufficient amount of water flows in the main channel to provide tiger muskie access to the lower Conejos River including McIntyre Springs and the main stem Rio Grande. McIntyre Springs is habitat for Rio Grande sucker which was included on the list of endangered wildlife in Colorado by the Wildlife Commission in 1993. Both the lower Conejos . . . . . . . .