Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Kokanee Fishing
Lake Coeur d’Alene is a popular spot for kokanee fishing. The lake is located in northwest Idaho, in Kootenai County, about 25-30 miles east of Spokane, WA. The lake has a good self sustaining kokanee population and the state hasn’t had to stock any kokanee in the lake. The kokanee are high in density and the fishing is good.
I not only went out and fished Coeur d’Alene, but I also reached out to state biologists to learn more about the history and current status of the kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene. According to biologists, the kokanee there are currently at a slightly lower density, which has allowed the fish to grow in size. The current average kokanee is between 14-16″ long, so the kokanee fishing is better than it has been in some time. The average fish in normal times is usually 9-11″ long. Biologists also noted the chinook that they had stocked in the lake as well. These chinook salmon feed on the kokanee as well, and because of that, the lake has turned into a trophy chinook fishery as well.
About Lake Coeur d’Alene
The elevation is 2128 feet and the depth of Lake Coeur d’Alene is 220 feet deep. This reservoir is a popular place for all sorts of outdoor activities. Yes, its used by fishermen, but you’ve also got your water sporters there taking advantage of the lower elevation, big lake.
Where is Lake Coeur d’Alene
How to Fish for Kokanee in Lake Coeur d’Alene
The most popular way to fish for kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene is trolling with a downrigger. I like to troll at 1.2-1.8 mph with a kokanee rig, and I list the most popular gear below for that. You can also jig for kokanee but trolling is definitely the more popular option. You need to find the kokanee, get on them, and then work that school of kokanee until they move on. Then you find them again.
Lake Coeur d’Alene is really big, and there are a lot more places where you can find kokanee, but these are the most commonly reported areas of success in the forums, social media groups, and fishing reports. If you’ve got a fish finder, you should be able to find schools of kokanee throughout the lake in deeper water, as long as you know what kokanee look like on a fish finder.
Most Common Depth for Finding Kokanee on Lake Coeur d’Alene
As it gets warmer, kokanee salmon go deeper. They can be hard to find, but depending on the water temperature, you can find Kokanee salmon from 30’ to 200’ with an average being around 80’, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to consistently find them at 80’. Electronics are very important, and especially at Lake Coeur d’Alene where the water is REALLY deep and kokanee depths can vary so drastically
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.
Most Popular Kokanee Salmon Rig for Fishing Lake Coeur d’Alene
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, but a little refinement and knowledge from locals never hurts. This is what people are reporting success with.
Most Popular Lure or Hoochie at Lake Coeur d’Alene
Squid hoochies are the most popular type of lure used on Lake Coeur d’Alene, though wedding ring lures are pretty popular as well as well. Pink was by far the most popular lure color on the water, with green and orange as secondary choices. Any of the lures below will work well. I personally prefer the double hook kokanee lures, as kokanee strike out of aggression, and the two hooks provides twice the opportunity to hook into a kokanee. I’ve even gotten two hooks into a fish before.
Mack’s Lure Cha Cha Kokanee
Most Popular Dodger at Lake Coeur d’Alene
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 combos. Pink and silver, pink and orange, etc. Watermelon, pink and green, also falls into that category. I personally love the sling blade style that Montana Tackle produces. It has a good action and I’ve always done really well with it. There are a few brands that have a similar style. I’m not tied to the brand, but I love the shape.
Montana Tackle UV Pink
Most Popular Bait for Kokanee At Lake Coeur d’Alene
The most popular bait to tip the hooks with at the end of your lure or hoochie is overwhelmingly shoe peg corn. Shoe peg corn is a more firm and resilient type of corn that can stay on the hook better and longer than regular sweet corn. The corn can also absorb scent and flavor, and it provides a kokanee something soft to bite into. If they aren’t hit on the first strike, they’re more likely to strike again. I’m a fan of fire corn, which is a dyed and scented corn. Pink is my go to color. It’s the hottest color on most lakes and in my experience, its the best place to start.
Pink Fire Corn
Most Popular Scent at Lake Coeur d’Alene
Kokanee are extremely sensitive to scents, so many anglers use a scent spray or gel to help both cover the human scent, and attract the kokanee. Gulp maggots or scented shoepeg corn can help cover that scent, but others like adding a gel as well. According to our analysis of the forums, the most popular scent is Anise, with Bloody Tuna coming in second, and a variety of garlic options coming in third. I like to have a few scents on hand to see what’s working that day. You can check out these and some of my other kokanee scents if you need more, or guidance on using them.
Video of Kokanee Fishing on Lake Coeur d’Alene
This video showcases a good snapshot of the sizes of kokanee on Lake Coeur d’Alene, as well as how hot the fishing can be on the water.
Spawning Kokanee Salmon at Lake Coeur d’Alene
Kokanee that spawn in Lake Coeur d’Alene have a 4 year life cycle. In that fourth year, they move inland and spawn on the shores in the gravel, and then die. At this time, there are lots of birds and other life that come and feed on the fish that die after that spawn. I like fishing in a boat, just off shore to see what comes to feed on the fish. Skunks, racoons, and other small predators are common, but it can also attract bears, birds, and other critters.
Other Fish You Can Catch Trolling for Kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene
Landlocked Chinook Salmon
The Chinook salmon at Lake Coeur d’Alene like to hang out close to the bottom usually. Even though these salmon are landlocked, these chinook still can get pretty big and are definitely good eating. They’re much harder to catch than kokanee, but its possible to hook into one when targeting kokanee.
Cutthroat Trout
There is a healthy cutthroat trout population at Lake Coeur d’Alene, and there are 100,000 more stocked in the lake every year. Cutthroat trout are a lot of fun to catch and will often bite on the same gear as what you’d use for kokanee. At Lake Coeur d’Alene the cutthroat are often in more shallow water than the kokanee.
Rainbow Trout
Fishing for the rainbows in Lake Coeur d’Alene is about as popular as kokanee fishing, and there’s a chance you’ll hook into one when fishing for kokanee. If you’re looking for table fare, I personally like the taste of kokanee vs rainbow trout, but they’re both a lot of fun to catch.
Lake Coeur d’Alene Bag Limits:
- Kokanee 15
- Chinook 1
- Cutthroat 0
- Other Trout 6
Lake Coeur d’Alene Kokanee Fishing Specific Regulations
In accordance with Idaho law you must be 14yrs or older to fish with a current fishing license. The limit to Kokanee fishing is 25.
There are currently no restrictions or recommendations against eating kokanee at Lake Coeur d’Alene. In fact, kokanee have one of the lowest mercury content of any game fish.
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About the Author
Lance has been fishing for kokanee for a long time, but went from casual fishing to really researching, testing, and studying kokanee and their habits in 2019. Since that time, Lance has partnered with guides, conservationists, biologists, and state officials to raise awareness to kokanee fishing and to help more people get into fishing. Lance has fished Lake Coeur d’Alene, but primarily fishes at lakes in his home state of Utah.
