Kokanee Salmon
Kokanee Salmon have bluish green back. Bright silver sides. Anal fin has 13 to 17 rays, the base is longer then the base of the dorsal fin.
About This Species
Kokanee (land-locked Pacific sockeye salmon) are suited to the large, fluctuating mountain reservoirs of Colorado. These silver fish with black spots on the upper half of their bodies can be found swimming in compact schools feeding on zooplankton, a food source unaffected by the drawing down of reservoirs. They turn reddish in color and males develop a “hook jaw” during the fall spawning season. Trolling with cowbells at medium depths provides angling success. Special snagging seasons are offered on some areas during spawning runs, and provide much of the catch for these delicious salmon. Kokanee die after spawning.
Colorado's Kokanee Salmon Spawn
Video: Colorado's Kokanee Salmon Spawn
Each fall, Colorado's kokanee salmon swim nearly 30 miles upstream from Blue Mesa Reservoir to the Roaring Judy State Fish Hatchery in Almont, Colorado. Here, CPW biologists and hatchery staff collect eggs from these unique, landlocked sockeye salmon. The eggs are then raised at the hatchery and the fish are restocked in 26 different lakes and reservoirs across the state. Because the fish are both raised and restocked at the Roaring Judy hatchery, the fish return here to spawn and complete their lifecycle each year. Kokanee typically live about 4 years in a reservoir before they spawn and die.
In addition to egg collection, the spawned kokanee are given away to ensure the meat is not wasted. Giveaways are conducted each Friday at the hatchery throughout the spawning process, which normally concludes around the first part of November. Participants must possess a valid Colorado fishing license to receive the free fish. Those who wish to participate in the fish giveaways should visit the hatchery's website for details, as fish numbers and spawning dates can change from year to year.