Kokanee fingerlings planted in Lake Tahoe
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently released 138,099 kokanee salmon fingerlings into Lake Tahoe.
In all, 634,430 kokanee were released into 13 lakes and reservoirs throughout the state.
Kokanee were introduced into California waters to provide diverse recreational angling opportunities for anglers and have become an extremely popular sport fish. They are typically smaller than the landlocked Chinook salmon with the average size about 12 inches.
Due to the continuing drought conditions making it difficult to obtain kokanee eggs within the state, this year’s allotment was supplemented with eggs provided by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Instead of migrating to the ocean, adult kokanees inhabit large lakes before returning to their natal streams or gravelly shorelines to spawn. Like all Pacific salmon, kokanee die after spawning, the whole life cycle taking from three to seven years.
The fish were planted in the following waters:
Water County Fish Planted
Boca Reservoir Napa 25,042
Bullards Bar Reservoir Yuba 70,140
Donner Lake Nevada 25,042
Hell Hole Reservoir Placer 25,042
Little Grass Valley Reservoir Plumas 15,052
Stampede Reservoir Sierra 60,027
Union Valley Reservoir El Dorado 49,995
Lake Berryessa Napa 50,111
Bass Lake Madera 50,064
Don Pedro Reservoir Tuolumne 19,980
New Melones Tuolumne 55,524
Shaver Lake Fresno 50,312.
