West Central Colorado’s 9,100-acre Blue Mesa Reservoir on the Gunnison River is a popular fishing spot for kokanee salmon. Kokanees are heavily stocked annually by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department (CPWD). But lake trout in Blue Mesa were taking a serious toll by preying on small salmon before they reached catchable size.
So, in 2020 the state decided to start the Blue Mesa Lake Trout Tournament, which runs from January 1 to April 30. This was the third year for the event, and it drew 81 anglers in 2025 who tallied 2,770 lake trout each under 24 inches in length.
Two dozen anglers were awarded $10,000 in tournament prize money. Gunnison resident Keith Carson was top lake trout catcher by turning in the heads of 413 lake trout to CPWD officials. He took home $3,000 for his efforts.
Anglers ice or freeze laker heads for entry in the event, while keeping the rest of the fish to fillet and share with friends and family.
The tournament targets lakers under 24 inches because such size fish are most destructive to the 300,000 or so small kokanee salmon stocked annually in the lake, according to CPWD’s Caroline Czenkusch.
Harvesting smaller lake trout aids reservoir management. Unchecked lake trout predation can rapidly impact kokanee salmon abundance, and impact lake trout growth and body condition.
“Smaller lake trout feed heavily on the just-stocked kokanee’s,” explains Czenkusch. “Those are the trout that need to be harvested to give salmon a chance to grow to catchable size for anglers. Bigger lake trout over 24 inches mostly feed on bigger fish like yellow perch and suckers.”
Czenkusch says the tournament is a win-win for salmon and trout, since big lakers are not targeted. Also, the tournament is a cost-efficient method for CPWD to manage the reservoir for lake trout. It would cost the state many times more to remove as many lakers as anglers catch for $10,000 in prize money paid in the event.
CPWD aquatic biologist Giulio Del Piccolo touts this year’s trout tournament as very successful, and praises anglers for helping the state manage Blue Mesa’s lake trout.
The event is not always held annually. State biologists sample the reservoir to check on salmon and trout populations, then schedule a laker tournament if conditions dictate its need.
“We know lake trout are prolific, and it takes consistent monitoring efforts to make sure we are meeting our goals of providing quality opportunities for both kokanee and trophy lake trout,” said Del Piccolo.
