Since fish stocking began at Blue Mesa Reservoir, development of the kokanee salmon fishery has been the major priority of the Division of Wildlife (DOW). Unfortunately, lake trout, a predator fish introduced to Blue Mesa, have taken a devastating toll on the freshwater salmon population.
To bring back the salmon population, the DOW is starting a project to remove some lake trout from the reservoir. The goal is to assure sustainability of the kokanee population and to continue to provide trophy lake trout fishing.
See the Blue Mesa page for more information on plans to restore the kokanee population.