Ice Fishing for Kokanee Salmon on Strawberry Reservoir, Utah

I pulled up to Strawberry Reservoir and it was -20 degrees. It was one of those mornings where you step outside, fill your nose with a breath, and then feel each individual nose hair freeze instantly. I was there for kokanee. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I was there on a mission. Ice fishing for kokanee at Strawberry is hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat that. But its a lot of fun, and a great opportunity to chase some of the best kokanee in the state.

Where to Find Kokanee Under the Ice

Strawberry is big, and the kokanee can be hard to find. When I go out chasing kokanee through the ice, I walk the “trolling triangle” and drill holes and look for kokanee. I have my tent and heater in the sled, but you need to be prepared to get up and move if you’re not on them. I start either by the ladders or by the marina. I’ve had the best luck in about 60′ of water. I don’t find them in the shallow water. The trout fishing is generally better in the shallow water, but if you really want to target the kokanee, you need to go deep.

If the snow hasn’t blocked it off, Soldier Creek Bay is probably the best place to catch kokanee through the ice on the reservoir, but it’s often blocked off. A snow machine really opens up your possibilities on Strawberry. Alternately, you can check out the shuttle service at the marina. They often know where people have had some luck with kokanee. If you’ve got a fish finder, and you know what kokanee look like on a fish finder, it’ll help.

Most Popular Kokanee Salmon Rig for Ice Fishing at Strawberry

I combed through several forums, fishing reports, and social media groups to figure out what most people were reporting having success with. Your most common kokanee trolling setups will probably work, even when ice fishing. The important thing is to add some splitshot weights on your leader. This helps keep your hoochie from tangling in your dodger. It also makes your hoochie move a bit more aggressively. This is important because kokanee strike out of aggression, not because your lure looks like food.

Most Popular Lure or Hoochie for Strawberry Ice Fishing Kokanee

Ice Flies or Squid hoochies are the most popular type of lure used on Strawberry during ice fishing season. Pink was by far the most popular lure color on the water for lures. Any of the lures below will work well. I don’t really like to troll with the kokanee flies, but they do work well when ice fishing. The squid style hoochies also work well. I think the strands of the fly and the tentacles of the hoochie works well, and gets the kokanee biting.

Most Popular Dodger at Strawberry

There were several popular kokanee dodger colors according to the forums. According to the forums and groups, a pink dodger is the way to go. People also liked pink combined with silver. This was the nearly unanimous color choice for the Strawberry kokanee fishermen, and ice fishing in general, you can’t go wrong. Some kokanee ice fishermen go without a dodger, but I personally have had a lot more success with one, and its become the common practice. I like the sling blade style through the ice. I like them trolling as well, but especially like them through the ice.

Most Popular Bait for Kokanee At Strawberry

The most popular bait to tip the hooks with at the end of your lure or hoochie is a pink gulp maggot. I love running the gulp maggots during trolling season, but I prefer corn when i’m fishing through the ice.

Preferred Guide for Ice Fishing Strawberry: Wild Wasatch

If you’re looking for a guide service to fish Strawberry through the ice, there are a few options. The lodge at the marina offers some services, and there are others. I’ve explored and looked at a few, but Wild Wasatch is the one I seem to go back to. They offer guided ice fishing adventures at Strawberry, Scofield, and other ice fishing locations in the state. They provide all gear, snowmobile transport to heated fishing tents, and complimentary snacks and drinks. After a memorable day on the ice, they fillet and vacuum-pack your catch to take home. Trips are available for groups of 1 to 8, with accommodations for larger parties upon request.

Video of Ice Fishing for Kokanee on Strawberry

This video shows how hard it can be to find kokanee at the berry. It can be done, but it took these professionals 2 days of fishing to catch 1, and lose another at the hole. It does show some good technique, as well as the shuttle service and conditions generally you’ll likely see at Strawberry.

Utah Kokanee Fishing Regulations

• The state of Utah considers kokanee to be a part of the trout bag limit
• You Cannot have any kokanee salmon in your possession at any body of water from September 10 through November 30
• Bag Limit is a total of 4 kokanee salmon or trout, with additional kokanee bag limits at some specific bodies of water.

Fishing regulations can change at any time, so we recommend that you check on the latest Utah fishing regulations before you hit the lake.

Photos courtesy of Lip Rippin Outdoors

Where is Strawberry Reservoir