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Kokanee Salmon
Oncorhynchus nerka
- Kokanee are blue with a silver sheen when living in the lake — look for that bright metallic coloring on fish caught in open water.
- During spawning, the body turns a vivid red color, making them easy to spot in shallow spawning areas.
- Kokanee are a landlocked form that never leave freshwater — if you caught it in a lake or river with no ocean access, it's likely a kokanee rather than an ocean-run sockeye.
- They are relatively small salmon, typically under 33 inches, with a streamlined body shape common to Pacific salmon.