Kokanee Fishing Remains Open in Coeur d'Alene Lake

Unlike the past three years, kokanee fishing in Coeur d'Alene Lake will remain open for harvest throughout the entire year. Recent surveys show adult kokanee have increased in abundance and will provide enough kokanee for a fall fishery as well as plenty of adults to naturally spawn in the lake. Idaho Fish and Game, in cooperation with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, monitor the lake each year to determine kokanee abundance. Past surveys showed that the adult population of kokanee was low most years between 1998 and 2008. The low abundance allowed kokanee to grow larger than average, which made them more catchable for anglers. Kokanee were particularly vulnerable in the fall when they mass near Wolf Lodge Bay close to their main spawning areas. This created an exceptional fishery, but adult abundance was so low from 2006 to 2008 that the fishery needed to be closed to protect spawning adults to ensure sufficient eggs for the next generation. A number of things where done to increase kokanee abundance besides closing the fishery. In 2007 and 2008, no Chinook salmon fingerlings were stocked into the lake. Chinook feed heavily on kokanee, so the lack of stocking reduced the amount of predation on kokanee. Chinook also spawn in the wild in the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers. Idaho Fish and Game has limited the number of redds (the nests built by spawning fish) to a total of 100 to keep a cap on wild production. These efforts appear to have paid off with substantial increases in the numbers of one, two, and three year old kokanee. Numbers are now back to the levels seen in the early 1990's. "This is the type of response we had hoped to see in the kokanee population" said Jim Fredericks, regional fishery manager. "It appears kokanee have moved from the edge of collapsing to a point where we can manage them for a year-round fishery and to provide good forage for an increased population of Chinook salmon." Because of the increase in numbers, Idaho Fish and Game sees no need to close the fishery this fall. Anglers should find an abundance of kokanee in the 9- to 10-inch size. The current adult year class grew up under high densities so their size is smaller than the last several years. "The key now is to gradually increase Chinook stocking to balance a good Chinook fishery with a good kokanee fishery," Fredericks said. In the spring of 2009, 10,000 Chinook were stocked. An additional 10,000 Chinook will be stocked in the next few weeks to take advantage of the high kokanee numbers. The kokanee limit will remain at six fish, but next spring Idaho Fish and Game will take comments for the 2011-2012 fishing regulations. At that point, an increase in the limit will be considered. Achieving a balance will not only provide a good Chinook salmon fishery but will also reduce kokanee numbers for a somewhat larger adult fish.