Kokanee and Deer creek

[ratnest]

Kokanee seem to be getting placed in a lot of lakes in recent years. Any thoughts on why Deer Creek does not have them yet?
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[a_bow_nut]

Deer Creek barely gets over 100 feet deep when completely full. As summer drags on it would be tough for them to find water cool enough to fit their preferred temperature range. Most of the places that they have been planted in recently either have deep water or are high elevation waters where they can find optimal conditions to live in.
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[ratnest]

Never fished Jordanelle before, so I assumed it was similar to Deer Creek, as the elevation is fairly close. Does the Nelle get much deeper, or is it just fed by cooler waters keeping the temp a bit cooler?
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[doitall5000]

Jordenelle gets much deeper. Deer creek has some deep water but most of the upper inlet is a mud flat.
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[liketrolling]

It is all about water temp for kokanee they will die if the water temp is warmer than 54 deg.

Kokanee inhabit mainly in the mid depths of the open water. They prefer water with temperatures below 54F degrees within the water column. Water temp is very important to a Kokanee’s life cycle and survival. Temperatures over 55 degrees can be harmful to these fish and can even be lethal. The Kokanee’s biology works best between 50F-54F. This temp provides the most efficient growth for feeding and less amount of energy is consumed for their daily survival. This is why when angling for Kokanee finding the right water temp within the water coloumn will help you locate more fish.

During spring Kokanee cruise the shallow waters next to the shorelines as it provides preferred water temperatures and forage small enough to feed upon.

In the warmer months Kokanee will be suspended within the thermocline of the lake. The thermocline is a narrow band in the lake in which the warmer surface water and deeper colder water meets. This area is also usually enriched with dissolved oxygen, which is also vital for any type of fish.

Finding the thermocline can be somewhat difficult if your boat is not equipped with the correct electronics
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[a_bow_nut]

Jordanelle is around 300 feet deep down by the dam and holds back twice as much water as Deer Creek. This helps keep an area that the kokanee can thrive in.
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[PACKFAN]

That's what I have wondered about the kokanee in Starvation, I know that water drops a lot by end of July I'm not sure how deep the water is near the dam or the water temp in that area.[crazy]
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[a_bow_nut]

The dam at Starvation is just over 200 feet tall. Looking at the last ten years of data it usually drops 13-15 feet, but on bad years it can drop 25 feet through the summer. I would think that this would give the salmon a good chance at finding the confort zone that they need to live.
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