The kokanee return to Ririe Reservoir — have you been fishing yet?

If Ririe Reservoir freezes complete adjacent winter, it looks for illustration we will person immoderate enjoyable kokanee sportfishing for nan first clip successful 3 years. In nan meantime, nan kokanee successful Ririe are mostly small, but are consenting to deed lures while fishermen are trolling for them.

Last Wednesday my friend, Mike Bruton, and I deed nan h2o and caught these mini salmon from 4 to 12 inches long.

Most of nan food were successful nan eight-to-10-inch range, but it was a invited acquisition and location were 2 happy fishermen arsenic we caught nan food from successful nan little portion of nan reservoir adjacent nan Juniper Boat Ramp. We recovered nan food mostly from 40 to 65 feet down wherever they were feeding connected plankton and were scattered successful mini schools pinch a batch of singles being marked.

“In our caller gill netting connected Ririe, we recovered a batch of past year’s works successful our nets,” Brett High, nan Upper Snake Fisheries Manager, told me. “But we only recovered 1 two-year old, that would person been successful this year’s spawning people this season. It looks for illustration we will person immoderate bully sportfishing for nan remainder of nan summertime and during crystal fishing.”

High indicated nan Idaho Department of Fish and Game are pleased pinch nan number, moreover though nan study of nan past study has not been completed.

The largest kokanee caught was conscionable nether 12 inches. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com

The food that we caught connected Wednesday were portion of nan 2023 works of 254,000 precocious spawn kokanee that were planted erstwhile they were nether 3 inches. At a gathering pinch nan Fish and Game earlier this spring, High told america that getting nan kokanee backmost successful Ririe was their “number one” extremity for this year. But truthful acold this season, connected nan charismatic stocking chart, only 76,032 early spawn kokes person been put into Ririe Reservoir. But those were stocked erstwhile they were betwixt 3 to six inches successful length, and we caught 2 of those connected Wednesday that were betwixt 4 to six inches.

The quality betwixt nan early spawn and precocious spawn kokanee is that nan early ones spawn successful August and September while nan precocious spawners spawn successful October and November. They besides disagree successful their soma colour pinch nan early ones having agleam orangish soma while nan precocious ones person overmuch lighter flesh. The colour of early spawner’s soma comes from further tummy enzymes that changes their digestive strategy process.
Many anglers consciousness nan sensation of nan soma of nan early spawners sensation amended than nan precocious spawners while others declare location is nary difference.

Four kokes betwixt 11 and 12 inches. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com

For years astir of nan stocking food came from Deadwood Reservoir for Idaho, but successful 2016 and 2017, nan early spawn kokanee did not nutrient capable food to proviso nan stocking of those fish. The Fish and Game continues to research different avenues for getting much kokanee to works because of their fame for some trolling and crystal fishing.

This besides brings up respective different problems pinch nan Ririe fishery, walleyes were illegally introduced to Ririe successful nan early 2000’s. They person been blamed for nan disappearance of nan kokanee and overmuch of nan perch populations. This summer’s testing has revealed that nan walleye organization is increasing and Ririe does not person a bait food organization of dace and shiners to support them. That intends they target crippled food for illustration nan kokanee and perch to make their living.

This summer’s testing recovered a 32-inch and a 29-inch walleye on pinch a beardown property people of 12 to 13 inchers feeding connected gamefish. Hopefully they tin beryllium eliminated to protect Ririe for nan preferred gamefish.

For correct now, I americium thrilled to person immoderate kokanee successful Ririe and hopefully we will get immoderate bully crystal this wintertime to bask catching them for a very tasty meal.

Most of nan kokanee were caught wrong a mile of nan dam. | Bill Schiess, EastIdahoNews.com