Ice fishing Kokanee in British Columbia

By Danny Coyne, BC Fishin.com

One species of fish that continues to grow in popularity to target during the hard water season in British Columbia is Kokanee. Kokanee are land locked Sockeye Salmon that spend there entire live cycle in freshwater. They are schooling fish and once you locate the active school, ice fishing for Kokanee can turn into a fast action fun filled day.

With their reckless fight, pound for pound Kokanee provide an angler with an exciting ice fishing experience like no other. Just like their ocean going brothers, Kokanee have deep red oily flesh that make them for superb table fare. Combine their delicious delicacy and amusement of catching them, its no surprise that Kokanee are the second most sought after freshwater game fish in British Columbia.

Many anglers are still new to the concept of ice fishing for Kokanee, as it’s relatively a new fishing experience that can now be experienced throughout the province. Kokanee are naturally distributed in lakes within BC and now thanks to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC more lakes are being aggressively stocked with Kokanee providing even greater angling opportunities. The hard water season provides an exceptional time for anglers, as unlike the open water season one doesn’t require a boat to reach these fish. Instead, ice fishing for Kokanee provides an affordable family fishing experience that everyone can enjoy.

Fishing for Kokanee is much different than fishing for trout. Kokanee can thrive in lakes that Rainbow trout may not due to their distinctive diet, as they don’t have to compete with other fish species. Instead of ice fishing in shallow water, you will typically be fishing in lake depths between 50 to 100 feet. The reason for this is because Kokanee primarily feed on Zooplankton, which are microscopic organisms that usually suspend within the mid water column. It is important to note that Zooplankton are light sensitive, which means the brighter days will drive them down deeper and the Kokanee will follow. During ice over an angler will typically locate Kokanee any where from 15 feet down as much as 80 feet. The use of sonar will help improve your odds immensely in locating the fish.

The best types of sonars to use when ice fishing for Kokanee are the flasher types such as the Garmin Striker Series of sonars. They provide real time movement on the screen that allows you to drop your presentation right to the fish.

If you do not have access to a fish finder (sonar) then start fishing at 10 feet and work your way down. When fishing with other anglers in your group work as a team. Have one person start at 10 feet and the other at 15, progress deeper until you find the fish. Having a line counter on your reel will help recognize the depths in which you are fishing. If your reel doesn’t have a line counter, simply count out the amount of line in 1 foot pulls that you are using. When you discover the fish you will want to repeat the same depth. A good tip is to add a threaded bobber stop every 20 feet on your fishing line so you can quickly mark how much line you let out.

The schools of Kokanee will cruise throughout the lake but will tend to stay in areas that provide plenty of food. Even though there is ice cover, lakes still have current in them, which can push the Zooplankton to a specific end. Points and ledges that reach out into the lake can also provide good forage areas for Kokanee, as the plankton will be pushed up against these zones. When approaching a new body of water simply look around for other signs of anglers, the locals tend to find the best producing areas for Kokanee and they don’t change much throughout the year.

One of the great benefits of targeting Kokanee during the hard water season is the extended season. Due to these fish residing in deeper areas of the lake they don’t become as deprived of dissolved oxygen as other fish species. Later in the ice-fishing season, such as mid-February the fish are not as lethargic and willing to strike a well-presented lure.

Click here to read the full article, including technique, tackle, and where to fish for them.

Originally published here.

Connect with BC Fishn' on social media: facebook; instagram; twitter; youtube