Fish ID
Kokanee
Landlocked sockeye salmon. Schools in open water and turns red with a hooked jaw before it spawns and dies in fall.
Key ID marks
- Silver body, steel-blue back
- Few or no spots
- Turns red at spawning
Mouth ID
Small, soft mouth that tears easily — use a rubber snubber and play fish gently.
Typical size
10–16 in
Best season
Late spring through summer
Where
Pardee, New Melones, Bullards Bar, Stampede, Sly Park, Tahoe
Look-alikes
Rainbow trout (spots, pink stripe).