Ice Fishing for Kokanee Salmon

[MN BassFisher]

Kerri and I were headed into the mountains for the night so we decided to stop off at Dillon Reservoir in hopes of getting a Kokanee or two. We fished for a couple hours and caught a handful of Kokanee and a Rainbow. We marked quite a few fish, they would rise in the water column but then swim back down to the bottom. The fish came on pink and white Tungsten jigs tipped with eurolarvae. We caught Kokanee from our kayaks this summer but neither of us have seen them in their spawning colors before so we were excited!

[BTL]

Very cool! Do Kokanees taste like any other salmon?

[MN BassFisher]

Very cool! Do Kokanees taste like any other salmon?

I'm not positive. I have heard people say they are better when they aren't in their spawning colors/spawned out. I would love to smoke them but I don't have a smoker. I will be frying them up this week so I'll report back with my findings!

[hnd]

kokanees taste pretty much like any other salmon you'd had. just smaller. we fish for them on the flaming gorge. i will say that turned salmon (regardless of the species) are not generally eaten as the meat turns mushy and tasteless.

[JBMasterAngler]

Pretty cool! They are landlocked pink salmon, correct? MN regulations still list the state record "koke", but I think it's been quite some time since they've been stocked here.

[MN BassFisher]

Pretty cool! They are landlocked pink salmon, correct? MN regulations still list the state record "koke", but I think it's been quite some time since they've been stocked here.

I believe a Kokanee is a landlocked Sockeye salmon. I'm not 100% but that was my understanding. Not getting as big as the Sockeyes.

[JBMasterAngler]

Just looked it up. You are right, sockeye salmon.