Tuesday June 16, 2026
Western Outdoor News —
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released the numbers for the 2026 inland king salmon and kokanee plants, and in many cases, the plants exceeded anticipated numbers. 2025 was a challenging period for inland king salmon releases due to the presence of Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis virus (IHN) in three of the four batches of eggs collected at the Feather River Hatchery. The virus resulted in only four reservoirs without downstream hatcheries being planted. This year, king salmon plants are back on for ten reservoirs ranging from Lake Shasta in the north to Pine Flat in the southern Sierra Nevada. Kokanee are to be planted in sixteen reservoirs including Union Valley and Shaver Lake which were left out in 2023 due to a shortage of eggs. This is great news for local economies dependent upon the scores of trollers who arrive at the lake for target these introduced species.
The plants will also offer a variety of options for kokanee anglers as lakes such as Shasta, Whiskeytown, Berryessa, New Melones, Don Pedro, and Shaver have the potential for trophy-sized fish over 18 inches which others such as Stampede and Bullard’s Bar will produce unlimited numbers of smaller fish. Some bodies of water such as Lake Tahoe will not be planted due to the attempt to reestablish the native Lahontan cutthroat trout will others such the population in Lake Pardee experiences a prolific natural spawn.