Kokanee fishing is a growing sport in Oregon, where these playful salmon aren’t as big as ocean-raised chinook and coho, but they are so plentiful that many lakes offer additional catch limits because there are plenty to go around.

In 2010, Ron Campbell established the new world with a 9-pound, 10.72-ounce kokanee he caught on Wallowa Lake in northeast Oregon.

Wallowa Lake has long been the best lake in Oregon for very large kokanee. These landlocked sockeye salmon grow to sizes that resemble their oceanic relatives, rather than the frying pan-sized fish found in most Kokanee lakes.

Where to Catch Kokanee in Oregon

In addition to Wallowa Lake, Oregon has several favorite kokanee lakes. Several of them have “bonus” bag limits of 25 kokanee per day, in addition to the limits on other angling fish.

One of the most consistent kokanee waters in Oregon is Odell Lake, near Willamette Pass, off Highway 58, about halfway between Bend and Eugene. The kokanee here are not large, but anglers with modest experience have a chance of hitting the 25 kokanee limit.

While kokanee numbers fluctuate from season to season in most locations, other central Oregon lakes and reservoirs that often have excellent kokanee fishing include Wickiup Reservoir south of Bend and Suttle Lake near Sisters, which they also have limits of 25 kokanee. Elk Lake has the same bag, but kokanee there tend to be small.

Also in central Oregon, Billy Chinook Lake near Culver no longer has a bag of 25 kokanee, but still has excellent angling. Other favorite waters in this area are Paulina and East Lakes in Newberry Crater, Crescent Lake near Odell Lake, Haystack Reservoir between Madras and Redmond, and Lake Simtustus near Warm Springs.

In western Oregon, a great place to fish for kokanee is Green Peter Reservoir near Sweet Home in the Cascade foothills, a short drive from Willamette Valley cities, including Albany. Green Peter is capped at 25 kokanee and can be reached by anglers who learn the reservoir when the bite is on.

Timothy Lake, a popular rainbow trout fishery southeast of Portland, also has a separate limit of 25 kokanee and produces good catches on occasion. East of Salem, Detroit Reservoir anglers include kokanee and other salmon locked up in its trout limit.

In southeastern Oregon, Lake of the Woods and Fourmile Lake, near each other in the southern Cascades between Klamath Falls and Medford, both have good kokanee populations and 25-fish limits, plus reliable trout fisheries. Also in the region, Miller Lake near Chemult and Heart Lake between Klamath Falls and Lakeview offer kokanee fishing. Miller has a bag of 25 kokanee, but the kokanee tend to be small here.

How to catch Kokanee

First of all, perhaps the most useful tool an angler can have is a fish finder. This allows them to identify schools of kokanee, both their location in the lake and their retention depth. Without a fish finder, the best advice is to research locally and keep an eye out for concentrations of boats.

The most popular way to catch a kokanee is to troll.

Trollers employ small, brightly colored lures to attract a strike. Various spoons, spinners, and hootchies work well. Stock a combination of lure types and colors, including fluorescent shades, as kokanee preferences can change hourly.

When trolling, most anglers pull their lures behind dodgers or gang style blade sets to help attract kokanee, a flashy fish that is forming. Also, it’s pretty standard practice to put a piece of bait on the hook. Popular baits include white corn, worms, shrimp, prepared baits, or a small piece of nightworm. Some anglers also add prepared flavorings. Some anglers use rubber shock absorbers in an effort to mitigate hooking force because kokanee have soft mouths, but not all kokanee anglers find this to be productive.

Early in the season, kokanee can often be found near the surface. As warmer weather arrives, the kokanee dive deep and the trollers use lead or weighted lines to reach their prey. Instead, many serious anglers use downriggers, which allow them to more accurately target schools of kokanee and then fight off playful fish with light tackle without as much weight.

Another very effective way to catch kokanee is by jigging for them with brightly colored metal lures. These jigs are often worked by fishermen in an anchored boat, dropped vertically to the level of the shoals. Move the lure up and let it flutter among the fish. Kokanee usually catches him on the fall.

Jigs can also be cast into shallow shoals, which are often marked by jumping kokanee. Cast the jig towards the fish and retrieve it with an erratic motion that includes pausing to let the jig move as it sinks.

Bait fishing can also be productive, using many of the same baits trollers use. Some anglers use a combination of baits, known locally by names like “Wickiup Sandwich”.

From time to time, anglers will find success fly fishing for kokanee, especially early in the year when these zooplankton eaters will target aquatic insect larvae closer to shore.