Puzzled

[junior scientist]

I am new to Kokanee Fishing, but have been fairly successful in June and July at Electric Lake in Central Utah...I have been out 3 times in August and have yet to find the once prevalent schools I fished in June and July. I use a Lowrance fish Finder and cannot find the fish. Do Kokanee move pre-spawn to non normal haunts?

Electric Lake is rather small and deep...June fish were at 25-40 feet, In July in 40 feet...August no fish with the exception of singles in 40-60 feet of water...I feel I should be finding 2 and 3 year old schools of fish...any publications on kokanee behavior? Thanks in advance for comments

 

[SuperD]

June and July the fish are active but in August their mind is preoccupied with sex and dying. Find out where the fish go in your lake to spawn and start working toward those areas. The fish are schooled up but move in whatever direction the creeks feed the lake are located.

 

[junior scientist]

June and July the fish are active but in August their mind is preoccupied with sex and dying. Find out where the fish go in your lake to spawn and start working toward those areas. The fish are schooled up but move in whatever direction the creeks feed the lake are located.

Thanks Super D, I asked the Fisheries Biologist who explained the strain of Kokanee they have been planting In Electric are lake spawners and not stream spawners, but I will check the small bays where water may be coming in. Do the 1,2 and perhaps 3 year olds follow the would be spawners? Thanks again

 

[SuperDaveMT]

I would look for some gravelly/rocky bottom areas of the lake with some current flowing - probably near the inlet or the outlet. In our local lake, the spawners seem to congregate near the outlet which is in close proximity to the deepest water in the lake. The inflow is somewhat sporadic as the lake is a holding pool for the local irrigation system, and is relatively shallow so I think the fish tend to stay near the outlet where the current is more consistent.