Anglers love catching salmon so in landlocked Utah the Kokanee salmon are the hot commodity, but many people don’t know where to find them. I compiled a list of the five best places to go fishing for the Kokanee salmon.
Where can you catch Kokanee salmon in Utah? Utah is a pretty good place for your next Kokanee Salmon fishing trip. The top five best places to catch Kokanee salmon in Utah are Strawberry Reservoir, Flaming Gorge, Causey Reservoir, Porcupine Reservoir, and Moon Lake.
Closely resembling their cousins the sockeye salmon, the Kokanee salmon are a hot commodity in the Utah area. They are fun to fish for and have even been known to get up to 6 pounds although they typically stay around 2-3 pounds. They still are a blast to fish for.
Where to Go in Utah to Catch Kokanee Salmon
There are a lot of anglers in the Utah area and they love to go fishing. One of the best-kept treasures of the Utah waters is its Kokanee salmon. Which make for a fun day of fishing.
There are five different reservoirs and bodies of water throughout Utah that house these special inhabitants. And each one is uniquely known for its interactions with the Kokanee salmon.
Strawberry Reservoir
This lovely reservoir that is known for its great fishing and amazing camping is located 65 miles out of Salt Lake City Utah.
The Kokanee salmon are known for living in the Strawberry reservoir and reproduce in the reservoir’s tributaries.
The biggest known Kokanee salmon to be caught in Utah was caught at Strawberry Reservoir in 1995 and has become a state record.
The management at Strawberry Reservoir also stocks the Kokanee salmon annually to help keep their numbers growing.
It is a great place to take your families and spend a vacation full of fishing and recreation or to come with some buddies and fish for the classic Kokanee salmon.
Kokanee Salmon Day at Strawberry is held every year in mid-September and offers materials to help understand the Kokanee salmons behaviors as well as providing families with a fun outdoor activity to see the Kokanee salmon migrate.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Flaming Gorge is the kind of place you’d think would be overrun, but it’s not. Limitless recreation opportunities with a side of solitude.
Utah
The Flaming Gorge Reservoir is one of the homes of the Kokanee salmon. Here the fish have all the room they need to grow and reproduce which they have and continue to do.
Starting about December 1st every year the Kokanee salmon are done spawning and fishing is able to begin again. So, most anglers can fish for the majority of the year.
There is a Kokanee Salmon Day at the flaming gorge as well that takes place six miles south of Manila. You can come for free and watch the colorful fish as they make their journey back to the stream where they were born.
This is a great site for Kokanee salmon fishing and many people say that the next record-breaking Kokanee salmon is going to come from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Causey Reservoir
Nestled up at the top of the South Fork of the Ogden River, Causey Reservoir is a fascinating, cozy paddle for anyone looking for a nice day trip. The reservoir at 5,700-foot elevation with a smooth 140-acre area was formed by the creation of a dam. Much of the water comes from snowmelt that makes it a cool escape during hot summers.
paddling
Causey Reservoir is known for being one of Utah’s most beautiful reservoirs. It is located east of Ogden just above Huntsville so it is a convenient location for one-day fishing trips.
It is also known for Kokanee salmon fishing although it is banned from August 15th through September 29th every year so that the salmon can migrate back to the streams they were born in.
Boats are allowed in the Causey Reservoir but only at wakeless speeds. It is a beautiful and scenic place to spend the weekend camping and fishing and can be enjoyed alone or with family or friends.
Porcupine Reservoir
This reservoir is known best for it Kokanee salmon and its brown trout and is known to produce quality Kokanee salmon which make any fishing trip a great one.
It is located about 30 minutes from Logan Utah and with the average size of Kokanee salmon growing seems to be becoming a more popular place to fish.
Porcupine Reservoir sits near the mouth of East Canyon about seven miles southeast of Paradise. First-time visitors admit it can be difficult to find but well worth the trip and surprisingly versatile in things to do and see.
herald journal
Known as a great place to camp and spend time with the family this reservoir is one that holds great fishing for those who want to fish, swimming for the swimmers, and even cliff jumping for those who want adventure.
Mix all of that with the great Kokanee salmon and you have the perfect place to get away and do your favorite hobby while still catching some great fish.
Moon Lake Reservoir
Moon lake is known for its campground and its fishing. Many anglers have been able to find some great Kokanee salmon living in these waters. Which makes any fisherman happy.
Moon lake is a high mountain reservoir and is located in Duchesne County. It was enlarged in 1938 with the building of Moon Lake Dam. Which helped with irrigation but also helps now with the fishing.
It is a great place to go fishing for Kokanee salmon and can be a great one day trip or weekend getaway. Whatever you are looking for in a fishing trip, Moon Lake and its Kokanee salmon can help lead you there.
“Out of this world, but still in Utah.”
Moon Lake
Related Questions:
What is the best bait for Kokanee salmon? Some of the most popular baits used for Kokanee salmon are pink maggots, dyed-cured White Shoepeg Corn, and dyed-cured shrimp. With Kokanee salmon, you want to make sure that you aren’t using to much bait or it with repeal the salmon.
What do Kokanee salmon eat? The majority of a kokanee salmon’s diet consists of zooplankton which they filter through their gills, but they have been known to eat little plants or the occasional freshwater shrimp when they are available.
Can you eat Kokanee salmon? Many people eat Kokanee salmon but they have stipulations. Once the Kokanee salmon has turned red it doesn’t taste very good unless you smoke it. Most people advise to eat them before they turn red.