Can You Find Salmon in the Waters of Colorado?

It has been years since I have done any fishing, and even longer since I have caught anything in Colorado. When I was a kid, I lived for fishing. I loved catching rainbow trout at Grand Lake and Chatfield Reservoir.

I always imagined myself pulling in the catch of the day with a huge fish. Salmon was always high on the list of one of the fish I would love to catch. However, salmon don't call Colorado home, or do they?

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Salmon fishing is prevalent in the northwestern area of the United States. You might be surprised to know that salmon, in fact, live in Colorado. Just not the kind you think.

Fishing For Salmon in Colorado

Colorado's salmon is much different than the Pacific Salmon you might purchase the the grocery store. Our salmon is what is known as a Kokanee Salmon, a type of landlocked Pacific sockeye salmon.

These salmon are not native to the state and were introduced to Colorado in the 1960s. Today, Kokanee Salmon are raised at the Roaring Judy Hatchery and return to spawn annually. An average of 3.1 million fish are raised every year by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Gunnison County, Colorado.

READ MORE: TIPS FOR FISHING IN COLORADO THIS SUMMER

Avid fishermen are allowed to fish for Kokanee Salmon in the high country of Colorado. There are bag limits, much like any species of fish in Colorado. Learn more about these bag limits on Kokanee Salmon at cpw.state.co.us.

You can learn more about Colorado's only species of salmon by watching the video below: