Growing food for people and fish in Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho
Bull trout alongside adult kokanee in North Idaho's Granite Creek.
Photo courtesy IDAHO FISH & GAME/CC BY 2.0
Kokanee are the backbone of the incredible fisheries to which Lake Pend Oreille is home. They are also a staple on the dinner table for many folks.
To support the needs of fish and the desires of fishermen on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho Fish and Game staff spawn adult kokanee and then release fry from those spawning efforts into Granite Creek each year. During 2024, approximately five million kokanee fry were released into Granite Creek. Those fish are destined for the waters of Lake Pend Oreille, supplementing the wild kokanee population in the lake.
The process begins with adult kokanee that are running up Granite Creek being collected and manually spawned by Fish and Game staff each fall.
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