Why Target Them
Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon, and they come with the one statewide date every Utah angler should memorize: you may not possess kokanee anywhere in the state from September 10 through November 30. That is also when they turn deep red and run up tributaries, which is worth the drive even if you cannot keep one. Outside that window they are a trolling fish, taken deep and early. The state record is 6 pounds 5 ounces, from Flaming Gorge in 2015.
How To Catch Them
Where: Strawberry, Flaming Gorge, Causey, Porcupine, Moon Lake
Go-to rig: Troll pink/orange squid behind a dodger, 25-60 ft down
Best bait and lures: Pink squids tipped with white shoepeg corn
Best time: Crack of dawn - bite dies mid-morning
CLOSED to harvest during fall spawn (check dates). Turn bright red in September.
Your Loadout 🎣 Stock Up on Gear
Tackle + Bait Slots
The all-round reservoir kit: enough backbone for wind and depth.
Where To Catch Them (5 waters)
Strawberry Reservoir · Flaming Gorge Reservoir · Porcupine Reservoir · Causey Reservoir · Moon Lake
Quick Answers
- How do you catch Kokanee Salmon in Utah?
- Go-to rig: Troll pink/orange squid behind a dodger, 25-60 ft down Best bait: Pink squids tipped with white shoepeg corn
- Where can I catch Kokanee Salmon in Utah?
- Strawberry Reservoir, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Porcupine Reservoir, Causey Reservoir, Moon Lake.
- When do Kokanee Salmon bite best?
- Crack of dawn - bite dies mid-morning
- Why fish for Kokanee Salmon in Utah?
- Because they school, they fight above their weight and they are the best eating salmon you can catch without leaving Utah. Strawberry, Flaming Gorge, Causey, Porcupine and Moon Lake all hold them. They count inside the combined four fish trout limit, and the harvest closure runs September 10 through November 30 statewide.