Kokanee Salmon
Oncorhynchus nerka. Bright silvery body with no definitive spotting pattern, unlike rainbow, cutthroat, or brown trout.
Photos
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Identification
- Bright silvery body with no definitive spotting pattern, unlike rainbow, cutthroat, or brown trout.
- Dark blue back fading to silvery sides outside of the spawning season.
- During spawning, color shifts from silver to orange to deep red, and males develop a humped back, elongated head, and hooked jaw.
- Deeply forked tail, another trait separating it from rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout.
Depth by season
| Season | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | – | Fish are often shallower before the lake stratifies for summer. |
| Summer | – | Kokanee school along the thermocline, which anglers must locate and follow as it shifts through the season. |
| Fall | – | Fish move shallower again heading into the spawning run. |
| Winter | – | – |
Active times
- dawn
- dusk
Top lures
- Wedding ring spinner (spinner , pink/red/chartreuse): Trolled slowly behind a dodger or flasher, typically near the summer thermocline.
- Trolling fly (fly , pink/glow white/UV chartreuse): Trolled behind a string of blades or a dodger, tipped with a kernel of shoepeg corn for scent.
- Small trolling spoon (spoon , pink/silver/chartreuse): Trolled at slow speed at the depth where schools are marked on a fish finder.
Top baits
- White shoepeg corn: Threaded onto a small hook behind a dodger or spinner, often scented or dyed pink or red.
- Maggots: Tipped on a small bare hook or added to a trolled spinner behind a dodger.
Line & tackle
- Line: 10–15 lb
- Rod power: Light trolling rod with a soft tip to show subtle strikes
- Hook sizes: Size 8 to 12 hooks tipped with maggots, shoe-peg corn, or small pieces of worm
Stocked behavior
Utah stocks kokanee as small fingerlings rather than catchable-size fish, since the species performs well when released small and grows out in open water. These fingerlings disperse into the pelagic zone almost immediately rather than holding near a release point, and need one or more full growing seasons before reaching a size anglers target.
Common mistakes
- Trolling too fast; kokanee generally prefer a slow presentation.
- Fishing bright lures with no scent; adding corn or a maggot to a lure often triggers more strikes.
- Ignoring the thermocline in summer; schools hold at a specific depth band that shifts through the season.
State records
| State | Weight | Angler | Water | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 6.25 lbs | Clarence F. Rief | Lake Roosevelt, Grant County | 2003 |
| Utah | 6 lbs. 5 oz. | George Sharman | Flaming Gorge Reservoir | 2015 |
Sources: Washington's official record page , Utah's official record page , accessed 2026-09-19.
Best time to fish Kokanee Salmon
Computed from every real stocking date on record, not a general seasonal guess.
Utah
Most commonly stocked in May in Utah, based on 293 stocking events on record.
Where it's stocked
11 locations shown. Click a pin for details.
Utah
Sources
- identification (accessed 2026-09-18)
- stocked_behaviour (accessed 2026-09-18)
- depth_by_season (accessed 2026-09-19)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- line_and_tackle (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_lures (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- top_baits (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- common_mistakes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- active_times (accessed 2026-09-19)