Kokanee Salmon in Michigan
Kokanee Salmon are an absolute blast to catch. A kokanee salmon is a landlocked sockeye salmon, that lives its life completely in fresh water and is unable to return to the ocean. Many states, including Michigan, attempted to introduce kokanee salmon into their fishing lakes because they are extremely popular, and their diet consists of zooplankton, and does not include other fish. Unfortunately, the state of Michigan was unsuccessful in introducing kokanee, and kokanee salmon can no longer be found in Michigan.
History of Kokanee in Michigan
The DNR attempted to introduce Kokanee in some bodies of water. Lake Cass was one of the places they attempted in the 1970s and 80s, but they were unsuccessful. The climate and the bodies of water were proven to be unsustainable for Kokanee, likely because they couldn’t hold the right temperature needed. The state record kokanee, taken during this period in 1978, was only 1.94 lbs, taken in the Clinton River in Oakland County, a far cry from the 9 lb 10 oz world record.
States in the west, in mountainous areas have had much more success than Michigan introducing kokanee into their lakes, though some states closer to Michigan, such as New York and Connecticut, have also had success.
Species of Salmon Found in Michigan
- Chinook Salmon
- Coho Salmon
- Pink Salmon
- Atlantic Salmon
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People have asked me about downrigger release clips for their kokanee fishing usually after having a day or a week of dragging kokanee around a lake without having any fish pull the line out of the clip. Kokanee are a different beast. This article looks at why people have these challenges, and the best clips…
