Wickiup Kokanee

Well I put this on the WA page but could have gone on the OR one as well.

Had a family reunion in La Pine , OR and was able to get out one day and fish.  Only picked up one fish but it was a great fish and really put up a fight.  Accidentally shut off the camera about 1/3 of the way into it but you can see the quality of the fight.  It was good, and the meat was excellent.

The kayak was really the way to go here, because the fish were right on the bottom of a stump infested river channel.  With the kayak you could maintain speed and stay in the channel.  Worked out great.  If you ever have a chance to fish Wickiup for kokanee the quality is worth the effort.

Tight lines.

19 inches!  That's a great kokanee!  What is the typical size range from Wickiup Reservoir?

Kokes are sure fun to catch. So fun that when one gets off the hook, I'm not disappointed because it gives me an opportunity to catch another one.  Last weekend I hooked a kokanee which put on an unusually good display of jumping and tail walking.  Then it dove under my kayak.  As I was pulling it away from my mirage drive in an effort to avoid an entanglement, it jumped on the other side of my kayak and smacked me in the shoulder.  The line under my kayak probably pulled it towards the kayak when it jumped.

I have been wanting to hit it.I have to go help my parent but can't get it worked to fish and help all in one weekend.were there any boats out? I have fished it in September years ago by boat with great success farther up the arm where the fish are staging to make the run up the deschutes to spawn on where all the springs feed in at sheep bridge.

19 inches!  That's a great kokanee!  What is the typical size range from Wickiup Reservoir?

MONSTERS!!!! Same with the browns, I will see if I can dig up any pics of years past.

Well I put this on the WA page but could have gone on the OR one as well.

Had a family reunion in La Pine , OR and was able to get out one day and fish.  Only picked up one fish but it was a great fish and really put up a fight.  Accidentally shut off the camera about 1/3 of the way into it but you can see the quality of the fight.  It was good, and the meat was excellent.

The kayak was really the way to go here, because the fish were right on the bottom of a stump infested river channel.  With the kayak you could maintain speed and stay in the channel.  Worked out great.  If you ever have a chance to fish Wickiup for kokanee the quality is worth the effort.

Tight lines.

Were you on the Deschutes arm? I didnt think there was any water left in that arm due to the lack of snow pack this year. North and South Twin lakes are great fishing also (non-motorized).

Wickiup Kokanee are a blast!  The past few years have been producing 17-19" fish on average.  Early June is the wickiup derby sponsored by Kokanee Power of Oregon -- it's amazing to see so many big fish at the weigh in.  And the limit is 25 fish per person (that will fill your smoker pretty fast).  My personal best kokanee was caught at wickiup last year at 18.5".  What's more fun is a double or triple with these torpedoes.

They make them big there for sure.  21+ inches are not uncommon.  Because they self spawn the challenge is to provide enough predation to keep them from stunting.  That is why the browns are monsters too!  19 inches was at the fork.  I saw one on another site that was 21.5 and 3.5lbs. YEEEHAAA.  I bet that dude tore it up.

I do not have this lake dialed in or anything, I just went one time.  I look forward to figuring it out and trying it again next year!

They make them big there for sure.  21+ inches are not uncommon.  Because they self spawn the challenge is to provide enough predation to keep them from stunting.  That is why the browns are monsters too!  19 inches was at the fork.  I saw one on another site that was 21.5 and 3.5lbs. YEEEHAAA.  I bet that dude tore it up.

I do not have this lake dialed in or anything, I just went one time.  I look forward to figuring it out and trying it again next year!

Glad you were succesful on your 1st trip there, that is awesome! I have been fishing this lake for years and just when i think I got it dialed in, it changes on me. I actually got skunked there opening weekend of this year...buts its ok I did get to freeze my butt off, got snowed on and got my friend's dad out on his 1st time Hobie fishing trip, he was stoked!

Great fish! Thanks for the report. I think fall kokanee when they're pushing up into river arms sounds like a hoot.

I sooooo love that lake! Primitive camping around the lake are plentiful. Great family get-away! Its funny though because I rarely kokanne fish there much anymore because I am usually chasing the Browns. Stealth is the key for those fish and doing it in a kayak is perfect!

My furry buddies love to go out too.

A lot more water in there when you were there!  Awesome pictures.