Kokanee and rainbows reportedly coming on strong

D’Wayne Darlington displays a couple big Kokanee caught in Lake Roosevelt Jan. 23, 2017.

D’Wayne Darlington with Hurd’s Guide Service displayed a couple of good-sized Kokanee on the dock at Crescent Bay Sunday, fish he guessed weighed close to 5 pounds each.

The land-locked salmon have reportedly been biting, but regional anglers have been frustrated as many boat launches on Lake Roosevelt iced over during the recent cold weather. Crescent Bay was one of those that remained open.

Darlington said Tuesday (1-24-17) the Kokanee and now rainbow trout are hitting.

“Once you find a good group of them, it’s like hammer time,” he said. “It’s non-stop.”

The guide said he was catching Kokanee between Lincoln and Keller Ferry last weekend, including a 6.1-pound fish. He predicted that someone would likely break the state record of 6.25 pounds sometime soon.