Best Time of Year for Kokanee Fishing

Perhaps you’re tired of catching few to no fish, or perhaps you’re planning a fishing trip and want to get the best bang for your buck on when you’re planning to hit the water. There is some aspect to this that is personal preference, depending on where you live and how you like to fish for kokanee. I’ve been fishing for kokanee for years, and target them year round. This article will break down the best times of the year to fish for kokanee, along with the methods you’ll want to use.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are sockeye salmon that are landlocked in fresh water. They primarily feed on Zoo plankton and are generally found in larger lakes that can maintain a cool temperature, or have enough depth to maintain a cool temperature. Kokanee are native to many lakes in the western United States and Canada including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho in the United States and British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. Populations of kokanee salmon are also found in Japan and Russia. 

Additionally, kokanee have been introduced to many other lakes in the United States including in those states mentioned above as well as in Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico in the west, as well as in New England, New York and North Carolina in the east. Kokanee have also been introduced to lakes in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada.

Kokanee salmon have a distinct life cycle that make fishing for them at certain times of the year better than others, and their patterns and actions change throughout the year as well, so it’s important to know the life cycle of a kokanee salmon.

Early Summer Fishing for Kokanee

May June are probably the best times for trolling and jigging. Kokanee salmon are feeding well during the early summer and spring months, and are big and ready for catching. Most of the largest fish, including several state records, were caught in June. The salmon are schooling well, and looking at the nation as a whole, in terms of sheer quantity of kokanee salmon, More are probably caught in May and June from boats than any other months.

Summer Trolling for Kokanee

July and August are also fantastic for Trolling. During these later summer months, the kokanee are at more consistent depths for trollers to get to. Kokanee schools start to break up a bit before the spawn, so fishing might be slower, but you might be able to find them in places you wouldn’t under “normal” conditions. Kokanee have continued to grow. They also have sunk to lower levels as the temperature rises, generally meaning that you definitely need a boat to target these fish at this time of year, but the bite can be hot, and the fish big.

Best Time of Year for Fly Fishing for Kokanee

Fall fly fishing and snagging In most locations its in September. In areas where snagging or fishing during the spawn is legal, most of those states have their state record caught in September, during that season. Kokanee are the biggest at this time of year. That said, the salmon flesh during the spawn becomes a bit more mushy. That’s the best way I can describe it. The salmon are deteriorating as they near the end of their life cycle. So at this point, they’re not the tastiest, but they are the biggest. Fly fishing for kokanee or snagging kokanee are the most popular and effective ways to target these fish at this time.

Best Time of Year Ice Fishing for Kokanee

If you’re big on ice fishing for kokanee, winter is when you want to chase kokanee. Duh. Later winter has been more successful for me. This really starts to get exciting in January and on. As soon as you can find the schools of kokanee, jigging through the ice is possible. In early winter, all the biggest fish have just died off after spawning. The later into the winter it gets, the bigger the kokanee are getting, and I’ve found that they start to school more later in the winter, making it easier to catch larger quantities once you find that school of kokanee.

Our Favorite Time of Year to Fish For Kokanee

My favorite time of year for kokanee fishing is May. This is ice off fishing. There’s a time when you can’t ice fish, and you can’t launch a boat where I live. It’s pretty much impossible to fish for kokanee at that time on some of the lakes. Once that ice fully melts, the wait is over I can get back to chasing kokanee. There are some states where this isn’t the case, and I occasionally have the opportunity to travel to those states. I’m limited in March and April where I live. Maybe I’m just biased because I’m writing this article in May. I’ve hit the water again and I’m loving it. Perhaps a more honest answer of my favorite time of year to fish for kokanee could best be summed up by saying that any time I’m out chasing kokanee is the best time.