EMERY COUNTY, Utah — It's an exciting time of year to see the fall colors and check out another natural phenomenon: the kokanee salmon in their spawning season.
"Normally throughout the year, they’re silver. This time of year, they turn a bright red," said Faith Jolley, a spokesperson for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "The males also get these humped back and get a longer hooked jaw and elongated teeth, and it is fun to see that process this biological change that happens this time of year."
These fish are in the height of their spawning season right now, so FOX 13 News anchor Amy Nay went to one of the spots that the DWR promotes on its website. We chose a tributary or stream that winds near Electric Lake. It's a remote area, but it's seeing more people lately after being mentioned by a number of social media influencers.
Jolley said they just hope people will come to view the fish in a respectful manner. She noted that from Sept. 10 to Nov. 30, you can't catch and keep the kokanee salmon or you'll face a misdemeanor and a fine.
"It is just important to not disturb them as well. We’ve unfortunately in the past seen people trying to pick them up with their hands when they see them in the water, we’ve had people let their dogs run around, and their dogs will harass them in the water. It is really disruptive," she said.
Because of this issue, they've stopped publicizing certain areas that simply got too busy with people trampling the area and even leaving behind trash in these serene settings.
"Follow all those normal principles for recreating: Leave no trace, stay on established trails, don’t overwhelm the area," Jolley added, "Nature’s amazing. It’s really fun to see wildlife. We just need people to do it responsibly."
DWR has a special viewing event they are hosting at Fish Lake on Saturday, Oct. 4, with biologists on hand to answer your questions. You can find more information on that, as well as all the other recommended locations, on the DWR website here.
Here's a list of the locations:
- Strawberry Reservoir (Wasatch County)
- Fish Lake (Sevier County)
- Jordanelle Reservoir and Provo River (Summit County)
- Causey Reservoir (Weber County)
- Smith and Morehouse Reservoir (Summit County)
- Stateline Reservoir (Summit County)
- Electric Lake (Emery County)
- Sheep Creek (Daggett County)
