By Author John Olsen
Summer Kokanee are some of the best eating fish in the West. Summer is also the main time most fishermen target Kokanee.
Kokanee was first introduced to bear lake in Utah in 1922 and later to other bodies of water. There are many bodies of water in the West with Kokanee, but some of the best are Strawberry Res (UT), Flaming Gorge Res (UT, WY), Porcupine Res(UT), Anderson Ranch Res (ID), Lucky Peak Res (ID) and Bolder Lake (WY)
Summer Kokanee are fun to catch and great to eat, but you must understand Kokanee to catch them. Koks love cooler temps, and as summer heats up, you'll need to dive deep. It's imperative to have sonar to find the water level and temperatures. As summer warms up, you'll end up with a layer of warm water and a layer of cooler water underneath and a line between called the Thermocline layer. Koks prefer 40-50 degrees to stay in, and fishing right below that Thermocline layer is where they will hang out. Some Koks can be found as deep as 60+ feet down. Keep an eye on your depth and temps to find the schools of Koks.
Gear- Using a downrigger is the easiest way to fish Koks, but you can use a plainer or lead line if necessary. Most of your Kokanee will be caught on a set up with pop gear, Dogger, or flasher (I prefer a flasher myself) with a 12-14 inch leader and a small lure like a squid, small wedding ring, Swedish pimple, or similar. The color I find best is hot pink, pearl white, brass, or a combination of those.
Another way to catch Kokanee if you don’t have a downrigger or way to troll deep is to find the school and anchor over the school. Then fish for the Kokanee with a small hook or 1/2 ounce jig tipped with shrimp or a single salmon egg.
No matter how you fish for the Kokanee, remember of all the fish, Koks have the softest mouth, so fight them gently. It's very easy to pull through a Kokanee mouth. Many people will fish with a surgical tube leader to help with the fight and eliminate ripping through the lip.
Summer mortality is much greater than any other time of the year for Kokanee. When you catch a Kokanee at 60 feet and fight it to the surface, it will kill the Kokanee. Many anglers will release smaller fish in hopes of bringing home a mid to large Koks limit. It would be best to consider keeping all the Kokanee you catch until you have limited out in the summer. 80-90% of the fish you catch will die, greatly affecting the Kokanee population in the long run. Many states encourage anglers to keep the fish they catch until they have limited out.
Best grilled Kokanee salmon
Ingredients:
4 pounds of Kokanee Salmon,
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons Lime or Lemon Pepper
1 teaspoon of Your choice of Hot Sauce (Char Man Caribbean Hot Sauce is my Fave)
Tin Foil
sliced lemon
Directions
Use a knife to slice into a butterfly fillet.
Prepare the tin foil by folding up a mote on the edges all around
Spray non-stick spray onto the tin foil
Place the fish on the tin foil
Heat up your grill to about 380 degrees.
Place the tin foil with the fish onto the grill
Place butter in spots on the fish
Shake on the Lime Pepper
Place in 3 sliced lemon pieces
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes for an amazing dish!
Sprinkle on the hot sauce, and Enjoy!
I love this with fries and molt vinegar and or Grilled Brussels sprouts!
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