UTER
Photo: Hemming1952, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Oncorhynchus nerka
How to catch Kokanee salmon
Kokanee salmon feed in 40–62°F water and bite best at 48–56°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 10 waters; in October they are at their peak in Colorado fresh water, Utah fresh water, Wyoming fresh water and 7 more.
15 pts · trophy at 18"Feeds 40–62°FBest 48–56°FIn season nowReservoirLake
About
The landlocked sockeye of the western reservoirs — silver, schooling, soft-mouthed plankton eaters that turn red and hump-backed when they run the tributaries in fall. Some of the best-eating fish in the West.
How to fish it
Troll slow — a mile an hour — behind a dodger at the depth of the school, which goes deeper as summer warms. A rubber snubber for the soft mouth.
What it eats
small dodgers and hoochies with cornwedding-ring spinnerssmall spoons
Live bait for it
Wax wormsOne or two on a tiny ice jig or a #10 hook for bluegill, perch and crappie, under the ice or a float.
What to fish it with
the sizes that fish itLeader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
Hook#2–3/0
Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
Braid10–30 lb
The rule
not confirmed hereRules differ by state — check your state's fish and wildlife agency before you keep one.
The current rule →Where it is, month by month
PPeakSSpawningAArriving·AroundLLeaving
Fresh water by state