Tahoe Kokanee get down upstream

One of nature's most raucous spectacles is the annual return of Sockeye salmon from the Bering Sea to the wild Alaskan rivers of their birth. Most of us have never gotten to see in person – it's not an easy thing to access, or cheap. But doubtless you've seen the images: Fat Bear Week anyone? Most of those fish trying to out-jump/maneuver/swim those plus-size bruins in Katmai National Park are Sockeye. Well, this article isn't about them. It is about Sockeye salmon – but the kind called "Kokanee," a landlocked, freshwater version of Sockeye native mostly to inland waters of Alaska, British Columbia and Pacific Northwest. For decades, they've been stocked in lakes and reservoirs throughout the west, including Lake Tahoe. Biologically, Kokanee have pretty much the same characteristics of their ocean-going cousins, including the urge to return to the waters of their birth. For saltwater sockeye, that'd be the rivers of Katmai and thousands of other outlets from there to the Columbia River's labyrinthine watershed. In Tahoe, the primary watershed of their birth is Taylor Creek, which is a lot easier to get to than Katmai, and you don't need to enter a lottery. Taylor Creek's Kokanee start life emerging from the pebbles of their stream-bed nursery all goggle-eyed and naive, not much bigger than the micro-organisms they will spend their lives feeding on. They'll spend their first few skittish months mostly trying to hide, like freshmen new to high school. But they'll grow quickly. Those that survive will transform into small chrome torpedoes and heed the call to open water. For saltwater sockeye, that means finning it into the Gulf of Alaska and all its wild, merciless splendor. For Tahoe Kokanee, it means taking up residence in one of the most pristine zip codes on earth. And while Tahoe's Kokanee don't have to contend with commercial fishing fleets or voracious sea creatures, it's still an unforgiving place where they can end up tangled in the talons of an osprey or bald eagle, the bellies of a big trout or mackinaw or at the end of your fishing line. Fisheries biologists estimate only one TahoeKokanee in about 2,000 will survive their entire 2-3 year lifespan. Usually maxing out at around 14 inches, they're also never going to grow as big as their sea-going relatives, which can reach 15 pounds. Like their saltwater kin (and unlike other salmon species), Kokanee feed on plankton, not baitfish. Lake Tahoe's purity means the supply of microorganisms is pretty skimpy compared to what their marine cousins enjoy. But, by staying in schools for protection, plenty still feed, grow and survive long enough for their internal love-clock to finally go off. Then it's time for a little down-home, upstream romance. With its mountainous backdrop and stunning fall colors, Taylor creek has a vague, scaled-down resemblance to what you'd experience 2,000 miles to the north, but without a roaring river's turbulent challenges or the indiscriminate murder paws of chonky Grizzly bears. If Alaska's Sockeye rivers are a thrash metal show, Taylor Creek is a bluegrass festival. Speaking of fall colors, add the Kokanee's startlingly red bodies and green heads to the pallet of those shimmering amber Aspen groves. Both sexes morph into those colors, but males go further, developing distinctive humps and hooked jaws (called "kypes") so they can square up against each other as they vie for female attention – the same as Sockeye returning from the ocean. Again though, it's all to-scale and easy to see up close. California has several lakes with healthy populations of Kokanee. They are prized by anglers for their abundance and aggressive strikes, plus they're absolutely delicious. But in Tahoe, "kokes" (as they're known in angler-speak) were first planted in 1944, and not at Taylor Creek. Originally they were introduced near Tahoe City. A few years later, when a healthy portion of those original fish returned, it was decided to introduce a permanent run to Taylor Creek. Because of a small dam upstream at the outlet of Fallen Leaf Lake, stream levels can be regulated to match the needs of returning fish. Now, every fall about this time through October, up to 60,000 fish return to this docile, glittering 2.2-mile-long stream. Entering at the creek's sandy mouth at Baldwin beach, they make the short journey inland where they crowd each other in the stream's shallow currents, shoulder to shoulder and nose to tail, looking for a perfect (but not real private) spot where they can hook up and, you know, spawn 'til they die. By mid-November, it's all over. Left behind, along with their carcasses – which fill the creek with nutrients and feed dozens of species from bugs to black bears – are eggs, millions of them, little ruby red promises deposited within the stream's gravel bed until it's time for them to hatch and begin the miraculous little cycle all over. To experience this living diorama, just drive north a short distance from South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89 past Camp Richardson. Look for the signage and take a right. The Taylor Creek Visitor's Center is free and open to the public every Thursday through Sunday. A tidy, meandering little boardwalk takes you to the creek and an underwater viewing window (open through Oct. 25) where you and your fam can stand eye to eye with these wondrous little fish. One caveat: You DO have to be "bear aware" – Kokanee are an easier meal than whatever's in a supermarket dumpster, so black bears are often present and although they don't maybe seem as scary as a 1,200-pound Grizzly, they're still fully capable of exhibiting aggressive behavior if approached. Give them plenty of room. But … rangers are frequently on site and the whole experience is actually quite safe and peaceful. It's also about 1,850 miles closer than the Katmai spectacle, which you can live-stream anyway. FISHING REPORT Folsom LakeThe salmon and trout bite continues to be spotty, with reports ranging from 0-3 fish. Wes Ward of Angling Wes Guide Service decided to focus on trout in the upper 40 feet of the water and switched over to spoons and soft plastics. He did report one very nice 22-inch rainbow and a few smaller ones but even that bite has been tough. There do seem to be a fair number of small king salmon in the 10-14-inch range being caught, which bodes well for next year. Let 'em go and let 'em grow! Bass on the other hand? Gavin Benson from Outback Tackle (located on the Mello Marine property literally "out back") says "with temps cooling, the bass are becoming more active and feeding more consistently throughout the day." He says slow down retrieves and fish areas with lots of structure, using jigs, dropshot and, especially, "the Berkley Stunna 112 Blue Vapor ... has been a major player, especially around schooling and suspended fish." Lower Sacramento RiverFor the most part, chinook are still coming through in drips and drabs, with no real consistent action yet from Verona on down. I was out four times in the last several days and managed two: one 12 pounds and the other 15, both on Silvertron spinners. We also lost one about that size on a white Pro Troll/banana colored Brad's when the knot broke at the hook! Which is a good reminder: It's been 3-4 years since many of us have used our salmon gear. Line degrades so be sure to at least be using fresh leaders! Other anglers I checked with reported catches from zero to two fish per boat. Feather RiverGuide Kevin Brock says outlet fishing is "amazing! Thousands of fish and we are hooking 8-15 a day downriver." Brock says back bouncing roe has been most effective, with bank anglers doing well on spinners, beads and roe. Collins LakeThis little foothill gem will start planting trout again on Oct. 13 and there will be regular plants thereafter through winter. Collins offers one of the best shore fishing opportunities in the region, with lots of access, nice camping sites and day use areas and, of course, massive ice cream cones at the general store. Lake AmadorJeremy from Lake Amador resort says trout stocking "probably won't be until end of October" but once it starts the fishery is a lot like Collins in that it's a great opportunity for quality-sized fish on a lake with excellent shore access for those without boats. In the meantime, he says "bass, bluegill and carp have all been excellent," also noting that a 22-pound catfish was recently brought in.