By Tyler Zumwalt

Dworshak Reservoir has provided great angling opportunities in 2024. Reports from anglers and research by Idaho Fish & Game showed that kokanee fishing was better than the previous two years and Smallmouth Bass continued to provide a world-class fishery. Additionally, Rainbow Trout stocking provided diverse opportunities for both boat and shore anglers.

Kokanee

The IDFG trawled Dworshak Reservoir for kokanee on July 29-31, 2024. The data from this survey allows us to understand how this year’s kokanee population compares to past years and what we could expect in the future. To fully understand how kokanee abundance and size compares to the past, we need to break down the data based on how old the kokanee are. Kokanee don’t live very long in Dworshak, with most only living for two years before they spawn and die. In years with high abundance of kokanee and slower growth, some of the kokanee will live for three years before they spawn. Age-2 and age-3 kokanee are the fish big enough for anglers to target and catch. Based on this year’s trawl data, age-2 and age-3 kokanee were larger than they’ve been in the last four years, but was similar to the 20-year average size of 10 inches (see below). Kokanee were large because the total abundance of kokanee decreased from the record-high abundances shown in 2020 and 2021. With decreased abundance, there is reduced competition for food and kokanee can grow to larger sizes.