Kokanee fishing in Washington has long had a small but dedicated following. The fish are sporty, widely spread, heavily planted, grow to multi-pound size in some waters, and are — like their saltwater brethren, sockeye — great on the table.
The species seems to have picked up increasing numbers of fans over the past several years, as witness a couple of events upcoming locally:
The first is a free kokanee fishing seminar at Holiday Sports in Burlington on April 10, at 10 a.m., where experts Randy Nelson and Curt Wilson will show participants how to properly fish local lakes and how to build their own kokanee setups. The fishery is not rocket science, but it is reasonably sophisticated, and a seminar such as this one will chop a lot of time off the learning curve. For driving directions or more information, call 360-757-4361.
The second event is the first-ever kokanee derby on Lake Stevens, co-hosted by the Snohomish Sportsman’s Club and the Lake Stevens Lions, scheduled for May 22. Sportsman’s Club president Mark Spada said that, to the best of his knowledge, this will be the first such event in Western Washington.
“Kokanee tournaments are big in California and Oregon,” Spada said, “but I can’t remember any up here.”
Tickets and flyers should be available at Ted’s Sport Center in Lynnwood; John’s Sporting Goods in Everett; Greg’s Custom Rods in Lake Stevens; Three Rivers Marine in Woodinville; and McDaniel’s in Snohomish. Tickets are $20 for adults, and free for young people under 15. The largest kokanee will win $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, $250 for third, and $100 for fourth. There will also be a $500 cash prize for the heaviest 10-fish (or less) limit, and $500 for the largest trout. The kids’ division will award $100 for first (any species), $75 for second, and $50 for third.
Retired Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Curt Kraemer, of Marysville, said all our westside kokanee stock comes from Lake Whatcom.
“They’ve been taking eggs up there for over a century,” he said, “and they tend to be smallish fish.”
Coming south, Lake Samish is a popular kokanee lake, with mostly average-size fish but a few larger than those found in Lake Stevens. Shannon and Baker, impoundments on the Baker River, are good, although Kraemer said Baker has dropped off the last few years. Shannon puts out some nice fish in the 12- to 14-inch range, he said, and tends to kick in early, in May and June.
Lake Cavanaugh is an under-utilized kokanee lake, where the fish have been getting larger. Still, most are in the 8- to 10-inch range, and you have to fish early or on weekdays to avoid heavy recreational boat and jet ski traffic during the summer months.
Lake Roesiger is a good bet, the north lake for numbers and the south lake for larger kokes.
Other Western Washington kokanee waters include Lake Meridian near Kent; Clear Lake in Pierce County; American Lake near Fort Lewis; and Alder Lake on the Nisqually.
The state’s best kokanee fishing, however, is found in Eastern Washington, in large lakes and big impoundments. Lake Kachess and Lake Keechelus both come with 16-fish daily limits, as do Bumping and Rimrock, farther south. Lake Chelan is very popular during the high-tourist summer months, and Lake Roosevelt carries Washington’s largest Kokanee. The state record, 6-pounds-plus, came out of Roosevelt.
Kraemer said kokanee don’t become super active until water temperatures start to approach 70 degrees. Up this way, he said, Stevens and Samish usually start drawing anglers in early May, although that can vary widely with weather conditions.
The one drawback with kokanee is that you generally need a boat. Although Lake Shannon and a couple of others have an active bait fishery, even that is usually done from a boat. Most kokanee anglers now are trollers, Kraemer said, usually with downriggers but with a few longtimers still using lead line..
“Trolling covers more water,” he said, “and that’s really what the game is all about. Kokanee are school fish, and you can’t catch ‘em until you find ‘em.
Kids trout clinic
The Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club and the Everett Parks and Recreation Department will host a kids’ trout fishing clinic on April 14, at Silver Hall (Silver Lake) from 6 to 8 p.m. Learn where to go and how to catch trout in local lakes in time for the general opener on April 24. Kids and parents are both welcome. There is a small fee collected by Parks; contact them at 425-257-8300 for more information. There will be prizes for the kids and practice with hands-on equipment.
Halibut clinic
Ron Garner, local halibut guru and president of the Sno-King Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, will give his popular halibut presentation at 7 p.m. on April 13 at Bayside Marine in Everett, adjacent to the Port of Everett ramp off Marine View Drive. The event is frree and open to everyone. Coastal Conservation Association regional executive director Bryan Irwin will talk about what the CCA is doing in Puget Sound and how you can get involved. There also will be a raffle for halibut gear.
North Gissberg
It’s important for parents or grandparents who have helped their young people take advantage of the juveniles-only opportunity at North Gissberg Pond, to visit the Snohomish County Web site set up for this purpose and take a very few minutes to fill out the survey. Without proof that the lake is indeed used by young anglers, SnoCo Parks and Rec could well swap it out into some other activity.
Go to htttp://www.1.co.snohomish.wa.us/departments/parks/park_information/park_directory/regional_parks/twin_l.
Springers
Lower Columbia River spring chinook fishing nosedived late last week and over the weekend, due to dirty water conditions. During the first four days of April, WDFW sampled 2,242 boat fishermenwith 308 adult chinook, according to WDFW biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver, and there was little effort at Drano Lake or the Wind River.
Season total counts so far are 68,300 angler trips below Bonneville Dam, and they kept 6,682 chinook and released 1,011 others. The area between I-5 and I-205 is now closed, and the rest of the lower River closes on April 18.
Derby entries slow
Jay Field of Anacortes said he had 12 teams signed up for his big $100,000 salmon derby as of early this week, and that he “had hoped for a brisker pace.”
The big money, for profit, event is scheduled for July 1-2, and Field said he needed at least 45 teams signed up to break even, If that doesn’t happen, he said, he will cancel the derby and refund everyone’s money.
The team fee is $6,600, but Field said one-third down will hold a spot. He had hoped to interest “brand boats,’ the emblazoned craft with big-name, deep-pocket spnsors, he said, but so far, Lowrance and Simrad are the only two signed and paid.
“I’m getting lots of enquiries,” he said, “and I think a bunch of people are sort of takina a wait-and-see attitude.”
For more information go to the event Web site, dashonederby.com.
Puget Sound rockfish plan
The first Puget Sound rockfish management plan put together by WDFW didn’ fly very well with fishermen, so the agency has revised it and is offering it up again for public discussion. In-Sound rockfish are at a very low ebb and need protection, the agency says.
The draft plan and its draft DEIS are available on WDFW’s Web site, wdfw.wa.gov/fish/management/rockfish. Those who would like a copy of the revised plan on a compact disc or in print can call 360-902-2844.
Comments on the draft plan can be submitted by e-mail to SEPAdesk2@dfw.wa.gov.; by FAX to 360-902-2946; or by mail to WDFW SEPA Desk, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia 98501.
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