Jere,
Most of the lake-resident "silvers" are more properly called kokanee
(Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi), the landlocked subspecies of the sockeye
salmon (O. nerka). Kokanee occur naturally in most lakes systems that host
runs of sockeye and have been planted in many other lakes over the years.
Given the existence of spawning tributaries, self-sustaining populations of
kokanee have been established in many lakes that have no connection to
saltwater. Coho salmon (O. kisutch) have, in the past, been planted in
some lakes where, lacking access to saltwater, they become resident. I
don't know if a self-sustaining population of coho has ever been
established. Oddly enough, self-sustaining populations of chinook salmon
(O. tschawytscha) have established themselves in a few large lakes (Chelan
and Cushman come to mind) where access to the ocean has been cut off, and
survive by feeding on kokanee. Puget Sound "resident silvers" are coho who
live out their entire lives in the sound, never migrating any farther than
the Strait of Juan de Fuca. These coho normally run from three-and-a-half to
five pounds at maturity. At one time there was a healthy population of
naturally-reproducing resident coho in Puget Sound, but liberal limits (six
fish under eighteen inches) and a pretty intense fishery caused a crash in
their numbers by the 1970's. We knew them as "feeder silvers" and they
provided excellent sport throughout the spring months at places like
Posession Point. A few years ago tribal biologists discovered that coho,
kept in their saltwater rearing pens beyond the normal release time, tended
to residualize; that is, to adopt the habits of the naturally-occurring
resident coho. The majority of resident coho in the sound today are these
pen-reared fish. I don't know how much they are adding to the natural
population of resident fish since their progeny will probably lack the
genetic instructions to stay close to home. I have heard reports of these
fish attempting to spawn on the beaches, not having been programmed to
return to a particular stream.
Preston
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jere Crosby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 9:20 AM
Subject: sockeye
> Now that I think about it, probably all resident, saltwater silvers are
> silvers and not sockeye...some landlocked silvers may be sockeye. How is
> the run of sockeye progressing in Lake WA? It should be about the peak of
> the run. Jere
>
>
