Statistics show Kokanee salmon returning to Kootenay Lake
According to statistics provided by the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club, the Kokanee salmon population in Kootenay Lake is the highest it has been since 2014.
In 2023, the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club, the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, the Lower Kootenay Band and the Ministry of Forests started a project re-stocking the lake with kokanee salmon. Eggs were collected from the upper Columbia River in August and released at sites in Kootenay Lake in November.
This project, together with efforts to control the predator population of Gerrard and bull trout, raises hopes that the the Kokanee salmon population will continue to grow.
CJLY spoke with Robyn Usher from the Creston Valley Rod & Gun Club about the increasing Kokanee population in Kootenay Lake and the next steps for Kootenay Lake Kokanee Recovery Project.
