The kokanee salmon are spawning in the Green River. If you are even the slightest bit tempted to snag one of those large, red, spawning kokanee, a word to the wise - don’t
Snagging is an attempt to take a fish in such a manner that the fish does not take the hook voluntarily in its mouth. In the “old days” it was legal to snag fish and consequently, many vulnerable spawning fish were taken. Snagging fish in Wyoming is illegal. Each year Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens issue warnings and citations for snagging kokanee on the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Game and Fish is asking for help from parents to get the message across to children, as most warnings are typically “Early run kokanee are starting to change color and congregate in some of their favorite spawning areas in Flaming Gorge Reservoir,” says Green River Game Warden Duane Kerr. “Anglers who aggressively jig for kokanee this time of year should be aware that snagging kokanee or any fish is illegal. So far, we haven’t had any trouble with people snagging kokanee and that is a Kokanee are fall spawners and begin running the Green River in late August. There are now two distinct strains of kokanee in the Green River, an early run strain, which spawns in September, and a late run strain, which spawns in October. The spawning fish can’t eat, as their stomach is absorbed. After spawning is complete, all kokanee die. Their decaying carcasses supply nutrients for other plant and animal life, as well as their offspring when they hatch. The early spawning runs are a direct result of fingerling kokanee planted in Flaming Gorge Reservoir since 1992 by the Game and Fish. These fish can only spawn in a river or stream. Since they were raised at the Auburn Fish Hatchery, the kokanee are basically “lost,” and don’t know which stream they should run to spawn. Some imprinting occurs to the area where the fish were stocked, and some fish are able to locate the Green River.
Snagging is an attempt to take a fish in such a manner that the fish does not take the hook voluntarily in its mouth. In the “old days” it was legal to snag fish and consequently, many vulnerable spawning fish were taken. Snagging fish in Wyoming is illegal. Each year Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens issue warnings and citations for snagging kokanee on the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Game and Fish is asking for help from parents to get the message across to children, as most warnings are typically “Early run kokanee are starting to change color and congregate in some of their favorite spawning areas in Flaming Gorge Reservoir,” says Green River Game Warden Duane Kerr. “Anglers who aggressively jig for kokanee this time of year should be aware that snagging kokanee or any fish is illegal. So far, we haven’t had any trouble with people snagging kokanee and that is a Kokanee are fall spawners and begin running the Green River in late August. There are now two distinct strains of kokanee in the Green River, an early run strain, which spawns in September, and a late run strain, which spawns in October. The spawning fish can’t eat, as their stomach is absorbed. After spawning is complete, all kokanee die. Their decaying carcasses supply nutrients for other plant and animal life, as well as their offspring when they hatch. The early spawning runs are a direct result of fingerling kokanee planted in Flaming Gorge Reservoir since 1992 by the Game and Fish. These fish can only spawn in a river or stream. Since they were raised at the Auburn Fish Hatchery, the kokanee are basically “lost,” and don’t know which stream they should run to spawn. Some imprinting occurs to the area where the fish were stocked, and some fish are able to locate the Green River.
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