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October 10, 2021 - 8:33 AM
Spawning season for kokanee salmon in the Central Okanagan wraps up this month and the regional district is reporting good numbers.
Nicole Kittmer, park interpreter with the Regional District of Central Okanagan, said the daily spawning counts in Mission Creek have been moderate and good, while Hardy Falls has had an exceptional year so far.
On Sept. 8, Mission Creek had 2,900 spawning fish while Hardy Falls had 1,800. On Sept. 12, 3,100 fish were counted at Mission Creek, and Sept. 14 saw 4,100 at Mission Creek and 3,300 at Hardy Falls, Kittmer said. Sept. 16 saw 4,200 fish counted at Mission Creek.
The Mission Creek numbers are moderate compared to counts in the last 25 to 30 years, she said, but Hardy Falls was exceptional.
“We still have fish at Hardy,” she said.
Most of the salmon at the main kiosk in Mission Creek Regional Park have died now, but some spawners can still be found upstream away from the kiosk.
“Just follow the smell of fish,” she said.
Hardy Falls is the best place to see the kokanee salmon this long weekend, she said.
Last year was a great year for the shore spawning salmon.
A total of 388,000 kokanee salmon returned to Interior creeks and shores to lay eggs in 2020, well above the 10-year average of 177,000, according to a statement from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
READ MORE: Interior kokanee salmon returns more than double last year's numbers
Kokanee are counted each year at Mission Creek, Powers Creek, Peachland Creek, Penticton Creek, Trepanier Creek, Lambly Creek, Naramata Creek, Trout Creek, Mill Creek, Eneas Creek, Shorts Creek, Whiteman Creek, Equesis Creek, Nashwito Creek, Vernon Creek and Robinson Creek.
Mission Creek’s spawning channel was build in 1987 to create critical habitat for spawning kokanee.
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