# Kokanee



## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Many, many years ago I spent a few weeks in Colorado and did a lot of fishing in the mountains. I caught a lot of Rainbow and a lot of Kokanee Salmon. I was recently talking about it to a friend of mine and had to explain what a Kokanee wasland locked Sockeye. His response was Land Locked!? Why doesnt Ohio stock these?
Maybe theyve tried, I dont know. Kokanee dont get nearly as big as Cohos or Kings. A States DNR has to draw the line somewhere; obviously the sporting interest is with the larger fish. I think there are Sockeye in the Great Lakes and I dont think they are and more or less likely to be self-sustaining than any other trout/salmon species in Lake Erie. Does Lake Erie have a population of Sockeye/Kokanee?


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## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

I remember right the reason we have Steelhead is because Ohio tried a Salmon program in LE and it didn't work. Must have been in the late 70's or maybe early 80's.
Tried the Steelhead and that sure worked. 
Thinking about the Great Lakes. The ones that have a good Salmon as well as a good Brown Trout program are lakes that are very deep. 
Don't know if that has anything to do with it but I am sure it plays a role in the outcome of the program.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

From what i know the reason we don't stock salmon is because when we did the fish would swim to the deeper waters of the lake in New York. This is also the reason why pa stopped stocking salmon. But PA now stocks lake run brown trout, which is working so far. The only self sustaining trout and salmon in lake erie is lake trout(i think most are wild) and pink salmon, which there is not many of.


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## Dandrews (Oct 10, 2010)

Thanks guys; figured as much, I just didnt know. This came up in a barbershop discussion.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

bigduck10 said:


> Thinking about the Great Lakes. The ones that have a good Salmon as well as a good Brown Trout program are lakes that are very deep.
> Don't know if that has anything to do with it but I am sure it plays a role in the outcome of the program.


I always wondered if it had anything to do with spring-fed tributaries hosting the fish. In Michigan, you've go the Manistee, the Little Man, the Pere Marquette, etc etc, all clear and cold. Here in Ohio you've got... uh... Cold Creek? I agree with the depth, but I wonder if the more constant water temp and flow makes a difference too?


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

I definitely think water temp and flow makes a difference, but cold creek is in the western basin of Erie so say they did stock cold creek with salmon they would still swim to deeper parts or the lake, and swim up those tribs.

But doesn't Michigan stock steel in the western part of Erie?


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