With only 2 more days of the kokanee season, met Dave and Paul (non-bfter's) at the mouth of Provo canyon at 0500 and headed for Strawberry hoping for a little cooler weather and better fishing than any recent reports. Launched in the dark, 1 other truck and trailer in the parking lot and 49* air temp. Headed north and started in the middle just north of the dry docks. Trolled to the island, around the east side toward the ladders then east to the gravel pit overlook and then south to sage. Caught probably 15 nice cutts, none under or over the slot - no kokanee. Finally went back east of the island toward Strawberry inlet. In 40' of water started seeing groups of fish on the electronics that looked like they may be kokanee quite near the bottom. Unfortunately by then it was 11:00 and starting to get pretty hot - could not get anything to bite.
Stopped at the fish trap on the way home. I hope what we found is not foreshadow of things to come. There were only 4 kokanee that we could see in the fish trap and none in the stream. It seems that in years past they have started to pile up in the trap near the end of August. I hope the numbers increase pretty soon or the stocking program is going to suffer big time this year. Hopefully they are just still staging out in the bay and will be in the trap soon.
I'm guessing the kokes in Da Berry are stressing in the warmer surface temps like the ones at Lost Creek that were dying last week. If they come in to spawn and the water is too warm...
That makes sense. One of the 4 in the trap was dead.
The water surface temperature this morning was 66* which is lower than I expected. Hopefully it will drop even further in the next few days.
I bet if you go take a look in the next week or two that you will see a lot more fish.
I sure hope so. I have visited the trap many times in the past, always at the end of August and usually see hundreds. This trip was September 8th with only 4 observed.
(09-09-2022, 10:29 PM)brookie Wrote: [ -> ]I sure hope so. I have visited the trap many times in the past, always at the end of August and usually see hundreds. This trip was September 8th with only 4 observed.
It was a later start to the run in Sheep Creek, tributary to Flaming Gorge, as well. Good numbers of fish started running on September 9th which coincided with a drop in daytime temperatures. It was pretty hot prior to that, and usually a cold snap and especially precipitation (which increases stream flows) will stimulate the fish to run. Each year is different though. I've witnessed good number of spawners as early as August 25th and as late as September 14th.
Hope it helps, Ryno
(09-14-2022, 05:03 PM)Ryno Wrote: [ -> ] (09-09-2022, 10:29 PM)brookie Wrote: [ -> ]I sure hope so. I have visited the trap many times in the past, always at the end of August and usually see hundreds. This trip was September 8th with only 4 observed.
It was a later start to the run in Sheep Creek, tributary to Flaming Gorge, as well. Good numbers of fish started running on September 9th which coincided with a drop in daytime temperatures. It was pretty hot prior to that, and usually a cold snap and especially precipitation (which increases stream flows) will stimulate the fish to run. Each year is different though. I've witnessed good number of spawners as early as August 25th and as late as September 14th.
Hope it helps, Ryno
Good to know. Has anyone obsereved Strawberry River this week to see it things have picked up with the cooler weather and rain?
I was back at Strawberry on Monday but didn’t get a chance to see if the fish were starting to show up.
(09-14-2022, 10:14 PM)brookie Wrote: [ -> ]I was back at Strawberry on Monday but didn’t get a chance to see if the fish were starting to show up.
Sounds like they've only had a few fish show up in the trap, but they are seeing a lot staged in the reservoir. Maybe this moisture will get them motivated and heading upstream.
I noticed that the kokanee viewing event that is held annually at Strawberry was canceled yesterday because there were not many kokanee in the trap. I started this thread on Sept 8th, it is now 10 days later. According to KLS outdoors/DNR yesterday, they are still staging in the lake. Sure hope they decide to come up soon.