Summer Kokanee

Summer Kokanee

Summer Kokanee are some of the best fish to eat in the West. Most fishermen target Them During Summer.

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 and great to eat, but you must understand Kokanee to catch them. Koks love cooler temps, and you'll need to dive deep as summer heats up. 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 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 colors I find best are 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 it. 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 that of all the fish, Koks have the softest mouths, so fight them gently. It's very easy to pull through a Kokanee's 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. Catching a Kokanee at 60 feet and fighting it to the surface will kill the Kokanee. Many anglers will release smaller fish to bring home a mid to large Kok's 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, cleaned

2 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons Lime or Lemon Pepper

One teaspoon Your choice of Hot Sauce

Tin Foil

Directions

Directions:

Clean the Kokanee thoroughly.

Use a knife to slice into a butterfly fillet.

Prepare the tin foil by folding up a mote around the edges.

Spray non-stick spray onto the tin foil.

Place the fish on the tin foil.

Heat 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

Cook for 6 to 8 minutes for an amazing dish!

Sprinkle on the hot sauce of your choice.