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Kokanee Salmon

What is kokanee salmon?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Scientific name Oncorhynchus nerka[1]
Form Non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon[2]
Habitat Freshwater lakes and reservoirs[3]
Migration Do not travel to the ocean[4]
Common names Kokanee trout; silver trout; little redfish; Kennerly's salmon; Kennerly's trout; Himemasu; walla[1]

Kokanee salmon are the landlocked, non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon, living their entire lives in freshwater lakes and reservoirs rather than migrating to the ocean.

Context

Kokanee salmon are the landlocked, non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), meaning they live their entire lives in freshwater rather than migrating to the ocean [2]. They are found in lakes and reservoirs, where they complete their full life cycle [3]. Kokanee spawn in tributary streams of their home lake [5]. They are sometimes considered the same species as sockeye, just with a different life-history form [2].

Documented claims

  • Kokanee are a small landlocked sockeye salmon. [3]
  • Kokanee spawn in tributary streams or tributaries of their home lake. [5]
  • Kokanee and sockeye are close relatives and are sometimes treated as the same species with different life-history forms. [2]
  • Kokanee are found in lakes in Idaho and Washington. [4]

Related

  • Pacific SalmonKokanee salmon is a landlocked form of sockeye salmon, which is a Pacific salmon species.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between kokanee and sockeye?

Kokanee are the landlocked form of sockeye salmon, living entirely in freshwater, while sockeye migrate to the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn [2].

Are kokanee trout or salmon?

Kokanee are salmon, specifically the non-anadromous form of sockeye salmon, despite sometimes being called kokanee trout [1].

Where are kokanee found?

Kokanee are found in freshwater lakes and reservoirs, including in Idaho and Washington [4].

Sources

  1. Kokanee Salmon Facts — blm.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. INSIDE: - Idaho Fish and Game — idfg.idaho.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Kokanee | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife — wdfw.wa.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. Fishing for Kokanee - California Department of Fish and Wildlife — wildlife.ca.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. Kokanee - Montana Field Guide — fieldguide.mt.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things