What year did Kokanee introduced to the gorge

Can anyone tell me what year Kokanee were introduced to the flaming Gogre Res. I know the dam was built in 1958 and the Kokanee reproduce on there own but I was wanting to know when they were first planted in the Flaming Gorge res.

Some of you old timers should be able to answer that for me .

That is a great question Stanson? Inquiring minds would like to know. Hopefully a bump to the top will help????

I did a google search, and according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources kokanee were first introduced to the Gorge in the mid 1960's. Maybe a local can pinpoint the exact year?

Silver Bullets said:

I did a google search, and according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources kokanee were first introduced to the Gorge in the mid 1960's. Maybe a local can pinpoint the exact year?

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I didnt think they had been in there that long.

Thanks for your input

I'm doing some research on the great Sport fish that everyone is trying to catch and they are one of the most popular it is called the

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), also called red salmon or blueback salmon, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Pacific Ocean. The same species when it occurs in landlocked bodies of water is called the Kokanee. It is the third most common species of Pacific salmon, after Pink and Chum salmon.[1] The name "sockeye" is believed to be a folk etymology of the anglicization of sθə́qəy̓, the name for the species in Halkomelem, the language of the indigenous people along the lower reaches of the Fraser River.

Some lakes in Canada Like Lake Okanagan were the record KOK was caught it weight was 9 1/2 pounds a very large for fresh water sockeye or Kokanee if that fish was from the ocean it would an averge size for an ocean sockeye Salmon they can be much larger than there counter parts the kokanee Becauce they live a longer life around seven to eight years were a Kokanee Salmon lives around three to four years so it make sence that the sockeye will be the large of the fish..

Now the thing I'm trying to figure out why some lakes do much better than others as to size and there abililty to reproduce naturally on there own I have been reading a-lot about the Kokanee.

These fish are not normally in fresh water they were introduced to fresh water by man some were along the line or were Ocean Salmon that got land locked.
Now Flaming gorge is a beautiful Res with a great landscape its in Dinosaur. Counrty maybe thats why they do so well there, this year there was a Wy. fish record caught there 6 1/4 pounds and was wondering about just how long that will stand. the Green Rivers is one of America's most beautful Rivers and it as many minerals in the water that end up in the Gorge so I will find out why the Kokanee do so well in Flamging Gorge Res.
which is controlled by two States Wy. and Utah I will do some reasearch with both to get what im looking For, why do Koknaee get so big in Flaming Gorge, do they live longer in that lake maybe 5 years or more Like Sockeye from the Ocean Seven years + life some may not Agree with that.

I know there is some very smart people out there that may be able to answer that question why do Kokanee do better in the gorge then other res. or lakes through out North American.
Thanks for your input

SK

SK, while I'm not a fisheries biologist, I have been studying the biomass at the Gorge in comparison with other Kokanee fisheries. We know that it isn't the strain of Kokanee because taking Kokes out of Flaming Gorge and planting them in other lakes does not produce a "Super Strain" of Koke. My assumption is a number of things coming together to form a perfect storm if you will. A huge biomass with a predator system in place to limit the numbers in the overall population as well as a vast yearly influx of nutrients and minerals brought in from runoff carried by the Green River. A larger food supply combined with a huge surface mass and the necessary predation for population control contribute to making FG one of the premier Kokanee fisheries in the world. Lastly the depth and water temperature are optimum for the fish to receive greater amounts of plankton for longer times of the year than most other fisheries.

I would also like to hear the opinions of other members on this subject!

MMM

Yes sir that all make sence to me and think that there is something in the water that the kokanee live on is making them do better then other lakes. I think you are right on that it must be several things are just right for the Kokanee to do so well in the gorge. thanks MMM I think you answered the question But i'm reading everthing I can about kokanee salmon in fresh water lakes around north america so if were is anyone that can add to this please do so. I know some lakes in California as done well in the past and are now dead like Bullards Bar, in the early 90's it was the place to go and now its not. something as happened to the koks in that lake and so far the CDFG as not address the Problem as to why and just planting a lake will not assure the koks will be there. it looks like they are just feeding the bass population

Were is some other info for you Kokanee fishers and to read About your beautful Gorge it looks like some time in the mid 60's is when Utah planted Koks in Flaming Gorge I dont know if the Wy planted any but maybe some one can anwser that. Some more Kokanee Info at the Gorge.

Kokanee salmon
Kokanee salmon spend their four-year lifetime feeding on zooplankton that average one millimeter in length. They don't strike a lure because it resembles food, but rather for its action and color.

Effective lures at Flaming Gorge are 1 - 2 inches long in fluorescent orange, chartreuse, pink, silver, gold or white. Popular styles include Needlefish, Super Dupers, Krocodiles, Triple Teasers, and Kokanee Kings.

The most popular method is trolling these lures using a downrigger. If kokanee are aggressive, fish the lure 12 - 18 inches behind popgear or one of the smaller-sized flashers or dodgers. If the fish seem finicky, trail the lure farther behind the downrigger weight without an attractor. Either way, kokanee at Flaming Gorge like the lure traveling fast, so keep boat speed at 2 - 3 mph. some may not agree to that speed. Another technique that works is vertical jigging with Kastmasters, BuzzBombs, Crippled Herrings, or leadhead jigs in the described colors.

The main trick to catching kokanee is locating them and fishing at the proper depth. By May or early June, kokanee action picks up with the fish suspended 25 - 30 feet over deep open water or "pelagic" areas. As the summer progresses, kokanee move deeper, and by August may be at 60- to 70-foot depths.

A depthfinder or "graph" is invaluable for locating fish, then either a lead-core line or a downrigger is necessary to hold the lure at proper depth. Without a graph, work deeper intervals until fish are located. Kokanee travel in schools, so it pays to make several passes through an area where one fish is caught.

Kokanee concentrate in different specific locations every year, but consistent producers include Cedar Springs, Jarvies Canyon, Hideout, Red Cliffs, Horses hoe Canyon, Pipeline, Wildhorse, Squaw Hollow, Lowe Canyon, and Big Bend. As the fall spawning season approaches, mature kokanee concentrate or "stage" adjacent to spawning areas, which include Sheep Creek, Wildhorse, Squaw Hollow and Lowe Canyon.

One of the members of this forum, Ryno or Ryan, I think is a fisheries biologist for one of the Game and Fish depts. ( I'm not sure which state) If he doesn't reply you may want to send him a P.M. and he will know the answers to your questions. They also stock about 1 million Kokanee in the Gorge each year.

This is the current fish stocking report for the Flaming Gorge. FLAMING GORGE RES Daggett KOKANEE 68685 3.08" 06/08/2009
SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 83980 1.96" 03/18/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 50490 2.59" 04/22/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 49830 2.59" 04/22/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 49500 2.59" 04/22/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 25080 2.59" 04/23/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 105660 3.14" 05/18/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 74851 2.86" 06/08/2009

SHEEP CR Daggett KOKANEE 62594 2.86" 06/08/2009

Great info Bduck! Do you have a link to that info?

Thanks,

MM

Thanks for the input on the subject about why do kokanee do so well in Flaming Gorge Res.

I see they do restock the gorge so they must Harvest kok egg's in the fall . does WY. Or Utha have a Volunteer Org. that helps pay for the cost to do that like we Have in Ca.the CIFF and Kokanee power

Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Flaming Gorge Reservoir was created in 1962 by impoundment of the Green River behind Flaming Gorge Dam. Located in northeast Utah and southwest Wyoming, the reservoir is 91 miles long and covers 42,000 acres. Facilities within the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area include 18 U.S. Forest Service Campgrounds (four boat campgrounds), nine paved boat ramps, and three full service marinas.


Flaming Gorge Dam

Since impoundment, rainbow trout have been annually stocked in Flaming Gorge and provide the bulk of the harvest, as well as being the most sought-after species by anglers. Kokanee salmon and smallmouth bass were stocked during the mid 1960s and have since developed naturally reproducing fisheries. After rainbow trout, kokanee are typically second in harvest and popularity with anglers.

Lake trout, or "mackinaw," which drifted into Flaming Gorge from the upper Green River drainage, have also become established as a wild population. Lake trout are managed as a trophy fishery in Flaming Gorge. Regulations are designed to keep lake trout numbers in balance with populations of kokanee salmon and Utah chubs, their primary prey. Other sportfish occasionally stocked in the reservoir include brown trout and channel catfish.

Here is a lil reading for ya thumbsup

Management and Current Status
Kokanee were first brought into Utah in 1922 from
Washington State. In 1923, they were introduced into Bear
Lake and then into Strawberry Reservoir in 1937. Since
that time, kokanee have been introduced into several Utah
waters, including Flaming Gorge, East Canyon, Scofield,
Deer Creek, Moon Lake and Porcupine reservoirs, as well
as Panquitch Lake. During 1992, fingerling kokanee were
introduced into Causey and Stateline reservoirs to establish
new sport fishery populations.

In 1991, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
began a kokanee stocking program at Strawberry
Reservoir. Eggs collected in the fall at Sheep Creek and
Porcupine Reservoir were raised in a hatchery. In the
spring, hatchery crews planted fingerling kokanee into
tributary streams of Strawberry Reservoir. The first
successful spawning run occurred in 1992 with yearling
kokanee returning to the tributary streams to spawn.
Normally, the first spawning run is expected to occur when
the kokanee reach four years of age. However, some
researchers now believe that it is the size and condition of
the fish, rather than the age, which determine when the fish
will spawn. It was this growth factor that contributed to
the kokanee in Strawberry Reservior returning at an early
age to spawn.

And here is a link to the article:
http://wildlife.utah.gov/publications/pdf/newkokan.pdf

So that means some of you boys should send some of those hog's back home up here stomper

There are some naturally occurring kokanee. Redfish Lake in Idaho has sockeye returns, and also has kokanee. Just a littl FYI...

Lots of questions but hopefully this helps.

Kokanee were first stocked in Flaming Gorge Reservoir in 1964 and have been stocked off and on ever since. Kokanee are presently stocked by Utah Division of Wildlife, Wyoming Game and Fish, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Jones Hole Hatchery). Fish are typically stocked in May-June at about 2-3 inches. It's difficult to almost impossible to raise kokanee much bigger than that.

Currently the stocking totals fluctuate depending upon hatchery space and kokanee egg takes in other waters (for example Strawberry Reservoir in Utah). A total of 1.2 million kokes were stocked in 2007, but only half that in 2008. During the spring of 2009, in the neighborhood of 1.4 million kokanee fry were stocked into the reservoir with hopes of more in the near future. For the first time in several years, an egg take was performed in Sheep Creek in the fall of 2008, which initiates a new goal to collect and raise more kokanee to supplement the decline of natural recruitment in the Gorge. These stocking plans, combined with reducing predators (lake trout, burbot, etc), will hopefully soften the blow to the declining kokanee population in Flaming Gorge.

Hope it helps.

It seems contradictory to try to reduce the number of predators by feeding them !! As usual, thanks for the info Ryno.

Ryno. thank you for your input, if I get enough interest I might be able to answer the question about why the Flamiging Gorge produce such large fish the average kok is 1/2 to 2 lbs. but the Gorge seems to be 2 to 5 pounds.

Do you know if there is a kokanee spond in the green River upstream above the town of green River, seems like to me if the water is right the kokanee will spond in any stream off the flaming Gorge Res. if condition are right would you agree??

anyone please post the more the better,

I been a kok fisherman for going on 30 years know and I have never seen the likes of the fish at Flamging Gorge and so many California's are planning trips for next year better tell buchboard's to expand his marina like maybe get some house boats to rent
or like they have at the dam Marina..

Thanks SK

Stanson said:

Do you know if there is a kokanee spond in the green River upstream above the town of green River, seems like to me if the water is right the kokanee will spond in any stream off the flaming Gorge Res. if condition are right would you agree?? Thanks SK

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Yes, from what I've been told, kokanee run all the way up to Fontenelle Dam to spawn. There are three major spawning stocks in the Gorge: Sheep Creek, the Green River, and in-reservoir spawning. We also get some spawning in or near other perennial streams, but it's likely their success is minimal.

What most people don't realize is the in-reservoir spawning kokanee are pretty unique and the "bread-n-butter" of the Gorge. They'll spawn over suitable substrate the entire length of the reservoir, but the key areas lie near Wildhorse, Holmes Crossing and Lowe Canyon. Previous research has shown that 95% of the kokanee swimming in the Gorge are a result of in-reservoir spawning.

That's where the burbot come into play. Burbot have been observed feeding on kokanee eggs near Holmes Crossing. We know lake trout rely heavily on kokanee, consuming them all the way into adulthood, but burbot are consuming kokanee eggs before they even swim-up. That will possibly limit recruitment of the in-reservoir spawning stock the Gorge relies so heavily on. Some angler observations have also indicated burbot consuming kokanee up to 2 years old.

Hope it helps.

jacksonlaker said:

It seems contradictory to try to reduce the number of predators by feeding them !! As usual, thanks for the info Ryno.

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You're right, between rainbow trout and kokanee stocking, we're feeding some predators. The goal is to continue to stock enough where those two sportfish (desired by so many anglers) will continue to flourish.

Why do Kokanee do so well in FGR

Thank's Ryno you have been a great help on my reaseach about the kokanee in Flaming Gorge, I'm going to put all of this information together. I have a lot to do before it is ready to put in a short story about the gorge and its great Kokanee the best I ever seen in any lake or Res.
SK