Hayden Lake Kokanee 101

By Rob Ryan, Regional Fishery Biologist Kokanee, a landlocked sockeye salmon, are relatively new to Hayden Lake. Since Hayden Lake kokanee stocking began in 2011, many anglers have caught on to this popular new fishing opportunity. As anglers discover this new fishery, many are asking questions to better understand how the fishery works. Common questions include: how many kokanee are stocked, why do I catch different size fish, and what's the deal with these big red fish in the late summer? Here's some information about Hayden Lake kokanee to help answer some of these questions. Hayden Lake is stocked with kokanee each year in May or early June. Originally 100,000 three to six inch kokanee were stocked. The number of kokanee stocked was since increased to 150,000 per year in an effort to provide more fish for anglers. The number of kokanee stocked has been balanced with a desire to provide large kokanee for anglers to catch. Kokanee tend to grow faster and reach larger sizes when there are fewer fish to compete with for food. Stocking rates in Hayden Lake are low with this in mind. The age when kokanee mature and spawn varies from lake to lake. In Hayden Lake, most kokanee become mature adults in two years. Anglers frequently catch both smaller one year old fish and larger two year old fish. Mature adult kokanee will spawn and die in the late summer and fall. When kokanee prepare for spawning they turn red and begin looking for somewhere to spawn. In Hayden Lake, red kokanee have been seen cruising shorelines and pioneering streams around the lake in August and early September. The number of kokanee that successfully spawn in Hayden Lake is unclear. Understanding kokanee spawning success will be a management focus in the coming year. Limiting the amount of successful spawning may be necessary to prevent kokanee from becoming too abundant and suffering from reduced size. Spawning timing and location varies in kokanee populations. The fish stocked in Hayden Lake are what biologists refer to as "early spawners." This means they spawn in August and September and require streams for spawning. Hayden Lake has limited stream habitat for spawning, meaning that we can more easily control reproduction and limit population density. Hayden Lake kokanee continue to be larger than most other north Idaho fisheries. However, the length of the average kokanee caught from Hayden Lake has declined since the first big catches in 2013. Unfortunately, managing for consistent fish growth in kokanee fisheries isn't simple. Growth is influenced by the number of kokanee in the lake, but also by weather, food production, the number and types of other fish in the lake, and anglers. Balancing all these factors with big kokanee in mind will continue to be a goal for the Hayden Lake fishery. Hayden lake kokanee fishing is at its best during the spring months. The timing of this fishery make it a great opportunity to dust off those winterized boats, gather your favorite fishing gear, and enjoy some nice spring weather.