Utah’s red kokanee show starts — possession closed Sept. 10–Nov. 30

Utah’s kokanee have turned red, and the harvest window is shut. The Division of Wildlife Resources reminds anglers that it is illegal to possess kokanee anywhere in the state from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30 while they spawn. Some waters close tributaries even earlier — check the fishing guidebook before you wet a line. Stay off redds, do not handle fish, and keep dogs from chasing them; a lot of these populations depend on natural spawn.

Two free viewing events are on the calendar. Strawberry Reservoir’s U.S. Forest Service visitor center hosts Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (register on Eventbrite; DWR is livestreaming the trap on YouTube Sept. 13–20). Fish Lake’s renovated Twin Creeks boardwalk is Saturday, Sept. 26, 3–7 p.m.

If you are mapping your own drive: Jordanelle / Provo River at Rock Cliff, Causey (paddle to the forks), Smith and Morehouse, Stateline, Electric Lake, and Sheep Creek at Flaming Gorge — leave the DWR trap alone there. DWR’s Sept. 1 page has the full map and peak-timing notes.

Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (kokanee at Strawberry Reservoir, from the Sept. 1, 2026 news page).

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — where to see red kokanee salmon this fall (Sept. 1, 2026).