The State of Kokanee at Rockport Reservoir: Fishing Report and Biologists Report | Kokanee Tour of Utah 2025

Rockport Reservoir is a beautiful place to fish. Nestled in northern Utah and surrounded by hills and quiet water, it’s a spot that often gets overlooked. But it was on my list for my kokanee tour of Utah, and I found myself wondering: What’s going on with the kokanee salmon here?

I was out on the water, trolling slowly along the deeper sections, when I hooked two small kokanee—one was 9 inches, the other 10. Both looked healthy, but I started to think more about the fishery. I checked online, scanned some forums, and noticed that very few people were reporting large kokanee over 14 inches in previous years, but there were also a lot of people reporting small kokanee, like the ones I was catching. That got me curious, so I dug deeper.

I reached out to Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources to learn more. What I found was a fishery that’s young, full of potential, but facing a few hurdles. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to target kokanee at Rockport—or if you’re just curious about what’s happening under the surface.

A Young Kokanee Fishery, Still Taking Shape

Kokanee salmon haven’t been in Rockport very long. Stocking efforts began less than a decade ago. According to Chris Penne, Aquatics Manager for the Northern Region of Utah DWR, the agency is still “just monitoring to see how they perform with several years of consistent stocking” before they commit to anything long-term.

Right now, Rockport is still figuring out if it can support a full, healthy kokanee population. Stocking is playing a big role, since natural reproduction is minimal (more on that later).

What Happened in 2023?

If you’re like me and wondering why there are mostly small kokanee right now, the answer lies in 2023. No kokanee were stocked that year.

Penne explained that in 2021 and 2022, Utah’s wild kokanee egg collections fell short due to poor spawning runs. “Most of the states in the West saw similar poor runs,” he said, pointing to drought and climate issues.

Because of those shortages, Rockport was skipped in 2023. The focus had to go to more established fisheries like Strawberry and Flaming Gorge, which serve as wild egg sources for other lakes too.

What that means is simple: There is likely a missing year class at Rockport. If you’re looking for your bigger kokanee you might have seen or heard of from previous years, you might be out of luck this year. As Aquatic Biologist Taylor Stewart put it, “There is likely a missing year class—or at best, a very small one if some fish naturally reproduced—in the fishery.”

Big Stocking Bounceback in 2024

While 2023 was a down year for kokanee stocking, 2024 and 2025 have been strong. Really strong.

Over 80,000 kokanee were stocked in each of those years—compared to just 25,000-30,000 in 2020-2022. This was due to better egg collections and good conditions at Rockport. According to state biologists, surveys showed “abundant levels of zooplankton forage”—the main food source for kokanee.

More food means the lake can handle more fish. So the stocking numbers were bumped up to match that. The fish I caught were also pretty fat. Even though they were only 9 and 10 inches long, the fillets off those fish were about as thick as the 14-15″ rainbows.

If you’re planning trips in 2025 or 2026, you’ll probably start seeing the results of this increase in the form of more—and bigger—kokanee. It’s about to get really good.

Natural Reproduction: Still a Work in Progress

One big question for the future is whether kokanee can reproduce naturally in Rockport.

Right now, the answer seems to be “not really.” The inlet from the Weber River is made up of larger cobble and doesn’t have good overhead cover. That’s not great for kokanee spawning, which needs finer gravel and cooler, protected water.

Stewart monitors the river for spawning activity each fall, and so far, he’s called it “lackluster.” Fish may be heading upstream, but much of that area is on private land, so it’s hard to observe and assess.

Utah DWR is now discussing possible stream habitat modifications. The idea is to improve the substrate and make the area more suitable for spawning. This could reduce the long-term need for stocking and help support a self-sustaining kokanee population.

But that’s still in the early stages. For now, kokanee at Rockport are largely dependent on stocking.

The Current State of the Kokanee

So what’s in the water today?

If you’re fishing Rockport right now, expect to catch mostly smaller kokanee—around the same size I was catching, 9 to 10 inches. These were stocked in spring 2024 at about 3 inches, and they’ve grown over the summer. Stewart is planning a full sampling of Rockport in 2026. He’ll collect structures from the fish that can be aged, giving a clearer picture of how well they’re growing and surviving.

Food, Competition, and Ecosystem Balance

Rockport isn’t just for kokanee. It has healthy populations of yellow perch, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and some brown trout. I marked fish nearly the entire time I was on the water.

Penne noted that kokanee and trout might feed on the same things—mainly zooplankton—but there doesn’t seem to be much competition. The food supply appears large enough to support multiple species right now.

In fact, rainbow trout are generalists. They’ll happily eat perch fry and other prey too. The rainbow fishing was also great. I was out fishing with my 3 year old this trip, so we weren’t out all that long, but we still landed 3 rainbows to go along with our kokanee.

Perch are also prolific. Earlier efforts to boost perch populations have paid off, and biologists feel that the lake now has good balance among species. I was marking fish on the fish finder just about the entire time I was on the water.

Angler Interest and What to Expect

When I spoke with other anglers on the lake, many were there for trout, bass, or perch. Some didn’t even know kokanee were in Rockport.

Right now, kokanee fishing here is still under the radar. I predict that will change in 2026. With nearly 3x as many kokanee planted that will be mature next year, I expect that people will start to see and hear about more success on Rockport and they’ll start flocking.

As stocking levels increase and if natural reproduction can be improved, we’ll likely see more consistent catches year after year. That would bring more kokanee anglers to the reservoir and help grow its reputation.

The Outlook: Hopeful but Needs Support

Here’s the bottom line: Rockport has potential to become a great kokanee fishery. But it’s going to take time, continued stocking, and maybe even some stream work to support spawning.

The past few years have shown that conditions like drought and poor egg runs can impact even the best-laid plans. But the signs right now are promising.

Increased forage, strong 2024/2025 stocking, and ongoing monitoring all point toward better kokanee fishing in the next couple of years. These improvements and ongoing kokanee management at Rockport will also be dependent on the popularity with anglers, which is part of the reason I’m writing this. The more demand there is for kokanee in Rockport, the more resources will be devoted to it.

If you’re heading to Rockport Reservoir for kokanee this season, manage your expectations. Most fish will be small, but they’re out there. And if you’re willing to wait—or plan to return in 2026—you might just be there when Rockport kokanee really take off. Keep your eyes on DWR updates and stocking reports. And if you catch a kokanee at Rockport, especially one over 12 inches this year, take a photo—it might be more special than you think.

My Rockport Reservoir Fishing Report:

We landed 2 kokanee and 3 rainbows. We also lost several. Trying to get a 3 year old to reel consistently meant we lost plenty. But, what people really want to know- what was working and where were they?

Gear:

I tried several different combos on the 4 poles we were trolling. The rainbows didn’t seem picky at all, and bit on just about everything. All the kokanee though were caught on a pink Rocky Mountain Tackle dodger and super squid.

Rocky Mountain Tackle Pink Hyper Dodger

Rocky Mountain Tackle Super Squid

Where Were the Fish:

I was there fishing the evening hours, for just over 3 hours and caught not just the kokanee, but all fish in one location: by the dam. The kokanee seemed to all be congregated on the west side. On the map below, the red are kokanee catches, the green are rainbow catches, and the blue are fish that weren’t landed. Kokanee were all around 35′, but bring your fish finder to mark the kokanee and you’ll be fine.

Other Observations:

I saw a couple guys fishing for bass from the dock. They caught a couple while I was loading up my boat. The ones I saw weren’t monsters, but one guy said he’d pulled a 3 pounder out shortly before I got to him. I also saw a couple boats out in the bays and inlets fishing. Not sure what they were targeting.

Wake Boat Activity:

There were a few wake boats out, and a couple hanging out on the North end, but not as many as you would trying to catch kokanee on Jordanelle Reservoir. Most were respectful and kept an appropriate distance. It’s just what you get when you go boating in July.