It’s 4 a.m. on a frigid October morning and Debbie Carpenter is first in line for the weekly kokanee salmon giveaway at the Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery north of Gunnison. Carpenter, cuddling in the car with her two young children to stay warm, drove four hours from Grand Junction, arriving early enough to be assured of getting the prized free fish.  

There are eight vehicles lined up behind Carpenter. Just a few years ago, Carpenter says, people camped at the hatchery overnight. There would be dozens of cars lined up before sunrise, the line spilling out onto the highway that runs between Gunnison and Crested Butte.

“Back then a person could drive away with as many as 40 salmon,” she says, adding that the two previous Friday kokanee giveaways in October had been canceled for lack of fish. “Now, sometimes it’s just a few salmon per car.” 

Where are the kokanee? It’s a question asked by everyone in line behind Carpenter. And the anglers plying the waters of Blue Mesa Reservoir and the East and Gunnison rivers. And the merchants who sell licenses and fishing tackle. And the guides and outfitters who count on clients drawn to the salmon.

Read more at ColoradoSun.com.