Trolling Speed for Kokanee Salmon: How Fast Should You Troll

The right trolling speed is vital for getting a kokanee salmon to bite. Kokanee trolling is slower than most types of trolling, but how fast should you troll to hook a kokanee? The right speed for kokanee salmon is between .8 to just under 2 mph. Generally I’m more in the range of 1.2 to 1.8 mph. This is the equivalent of 1.2 to 2.9 kph. This isn’t a hard rule though, and there is some gear that you’ll want to troll faster with.

I’ve been trolling for kokanee for quite a while now, and I’ve really gotten scientific about it in the last 5 years. I’ve been fishing for kokanee, working with pros, biologists, and conservationists to learn as much as I can about kokanee and improve opportunities. As part of that, I’ve run several tests on trolling speeds, and compared notes with several other kokanee pros to see what’s working.

About Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee salmon are landlocked sockeye salmon, which means they don’t return to the ocean and live their entire lives in lakes or reservoirs before spawning in rivers, streams, or gravel close to lakeshores. These salmon are delicious and are really strong fighters, making them a prime target for anglers, and the popularity of this fish is growing. Kokanee are a schooling fish that feed on zooplankton in the water. They tend to find where these plankton are at and then they congregate and feed all in that one area. Because they eat plankton, they’re not really striking or chasing food, so you troll for kokanee slower than most other fish.

These plankton, and the kokanee that feed on them, like to hang in water that is around 50-55 degrees, so these salmon are usually only able to survive in deep alpine lakes and reservoirs, and can be found from depths of 10 feet, all the way down to over 100 feet deep. This tends to mean that they’re hanging out in the middle of the lake, or at least too far from shore to make kokanee fishing from shore really viable. This means that you generally need a boat to target kokanee. You can do this by trolling or by jigging for kokanee, but trolling is the more popular option.

How Fast Should You Troll for Kokanee at Different Times of the Year

Your presentation matters, and the trolling speed is vital to that. Some days the salmon might not be as picky on your exact speed, but kokanee can turn picky. This can also vary by the time of year. In my personal experience, Kokanee salmon trolling speed in the spring to early summer has been more successful at 1.5-1.8 mph. In the late summer and fall, I’ve had more success from 1.2-1.5 mph. Generally I start at 1.5 mph and adjust from there to see where I have the most success. Some don’t notice a difference at all.

Challenges of Going Too Slow Trolling for Kokanee

You certainly don’t want to be going too slow when trolling for kokanee. Speeds of slower than .8 mph do not produce the right action for lures or dodgers. They won’t attract kokanee like they’re designed to at the slower speeds. A lure like the wiggle hoochie or a spoon are designed to have some movement to them while trolling, as do sling blades and really most kokanee dodgers. Dodgers and sling blades move side to side, creating an attractive movement and sending vibrations and noises in the water that can attract the attention of fish, whereas flashers are supposed to go around in circles, sending light in all directions. Both require sufficient speed to produce the proper effect. 

I’ve had most success with the pink sling blade that has its own action, and a pink, green, or orange hoochie that does not have any action. (See our Full Selection of Hoochies) Dodgers and Sling Blades designed specifically for Kokanee salmon make the proper movement at the proper speed, and the pink sling blade is one I usually start with when trolling for Kokanee. That doesn’t mean that’s what I stick with. I adapt my rig and experiment until I find what the fish are biting that day, but it’s my go to start.

Shasta Tackle Pink Kokanee Sling Blade

Trolling Speed And Adjusting Depth to Stay On the Kokanee

Changing your speed can also affect the depth of your rig. The faster you go, the less depth your line will be. Knowing what depth the kokanee salmon are hanging out at is crucial to a successful fishing trip. Changing your speed without adjusting for depth can either raise or lower your trolling rigs away from the fish. This would clearly hurt your chances of success, unless you’re running a really heavy downrigger weight. Be sure to adjust the depth for speed.

Additionally, trolling speed can also affect motor noise and timing from motor disturbance. I like to have my lure or hoochie 60-100 feet from the boat if I’m using an electric motor, and 100 or more if I’m using a gas motor. I like to use more line out the closer to the water I’m fishing, and the faster I’m going. The goal is to allow the fish to come back from where they ran to in time to see your lure. If you’re going faster, you’ll need more line to give them more time.

Below is a video of a guy showing a basic trolling guide. He also goes through different speeds and looking at action of your trolling rig, and how different components can affect your speed our setup. We didn’t make the video, but its still definitely worth the watch.