Ririe

[MMDon]

The optimum water column temp for Kokes is 56.5 degrees. Until the surface water is warmer than that they will be as high in the water column as possible as that is where the most plankton is located. As the water warms the Kokes have to move down and this downward movement determines the growth for each years Kokanee as the light penetration below 20 feet is not good for plankton growth in a biomass like Ririe. The longer they can stay close to the surface the larger the fish. The second controlling factor to Koke size is the amount of runoff bringing nutrients into the biomass. The bigger the snowpack the more nutrients that are washed in to feed the plankton. Since the wind always blows at Ririe, fish the corners that the plankton blows up against and hope for cooler night temps to keep the fish up in the water column.
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