19 species named: brook trout, brown trout, channel catfish, chinook salmon, coho salmon, crappie, cutthroat trout…
Read at Oregon ODFWKokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka
1 of 9worth the trip today
Best right now at Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
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Where kokanee salmon score best right now
About kokanee salmon
Landlocked sockeye salmon — the marquee coldwater reservoir fishery of the Mountain West. A plankton feeder that suspends along the thermocline and is caught by downrigger trolling with squids and dodgers spring through fall, and through the ice in winter. The fall spawning run turns the fish brilliant red and triggers snagging seasons on designated waters; prized as table fare. In Colorado, Blue Mesa is the flagship water, with Dillon and Granby also producing.
Oncorhynchus nerka, family Salmonidae.
Kokanee salmon, spot by spot
All 9 spots with kokanee salmon in season, scored for kokanee salmon, best first.
How they feed
- Water45–59°F, best near 53°
- TideEither, as long as it moves
- MoonEither
- DepthUsually 20–120 ft
- Active monthsYear-round
Scored against their own temperature range and tide preference first, then wind, weather and warnings. Solunar periods only break ties. How the score works
Keep or release
- Colorado non-tidal10 a dayColorado statewide: 10 kokanee a day by angling, snagging or archery, no minimum. Snagging is legal only on listed waters and dates.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Idaho non-tidal15 a dayIdaho Panhandle Region, including Coeur d'Alene Lake: 15 kokanee a day. Other regions set 6 to 25.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Montana Western District20 a dayWestern District: 20 kokanee a day, 40 in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Nevada non-tidal5 a dayNevada: kokanee are a coldwater game fish. At Lake Tahoe, the main kokanee water, every game fish counts toward one 5-fish limit.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- New Mexico non-tidal5 a dayNew Mexico: kokanee count in the 5 trout-and-salmon daily bag (10 in possession). During the Oct 1–Dec 31 snagging season on listed waters the kokanee bag is 12 a day, 24 in possession.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Utah non-tidal4 a dayUtah statewide: 4 trout, kokanee and grayling a day combined, no statewide size limit. No kokanee may be possessed anywhere in Utah from Sep 10 through Nov 30.Non tidal waters · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Rules change, and they differ by state and often by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water. Kokanee salmon are fished at spots in 6 states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
Waters with their own rules
These waters set limits for kokanee salmon that differ from the rest of their state.
Reports that mention kokanee salmon
1 state agency named kokanee salmon in their latest reports, newest first, linked to the source.
Fished in the same water
Species people target at the same spots as kokanee salmon, and how they’re doing today.
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss41 of 81 spots worth the trip
Best now at Bighorn River, MT100
Bites in 45–68° water
Lake troutSalvelinus namaycush5 of 18 spots worth the trip
Best now at Lake Champlain, NY90
Bites in 40–52° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta27 of 64 spots worth the trip
Best now at Selkirk Shores, NY100
Bites in 45–68° water
Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieu50 of 118 spots worth the trip
Best now at Potomac River, MD100
Bites in 55–78° water