Kokanee Salmon Program 

Kokanee are a landlocked form of the larger, sockeye salmon that return from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in west coast rivers. Their exact origin is unknown, but they have supported fisheries of varying importance for more than fifty years in Connecticut. Each autumn, adult kokanee are trapnetted from East Twin Lake and Lake Wononskopomuc, and transported to the Burlington State Trout Hatchery for spawning. There, the eggs are incubated and resulting fry reared until late May. They are then stocked in East Twin Lake, Lake Wononskopomuc, and West Hill Pond. Within three summers, the fry grow into adult salmon 12 - 16 inches long. Burlington Trout Hatchery produces all of the 150,000 kokanee salmon fry distributed in the state. This cost-effective management effort has created unique fisheries at East Twin Lake, Lake Wononskopomuc and West Hill Pond. It is estimated that our present kokanee management program can provide approximately 20,000 - 30,000 hours of recreational fishing each year.

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Content last updated August 2019