LLTK Helping to Bring Kokanee Salmon to Orcas Island's Cascade Lake

For the past three years, a partnership between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Moran State Park, and Long Live the Kings (LLTK) has aimed to introduce a new stock of hatchery-reared kokanee to Orcas Island's Cascade Lake.

Six years ago, the Park received its first batch of kokanee eggs from Lake Whatcom, near Bellingham, and embarked on the effort to rear and release kokanee from its own hatchery. The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce information booth within the Park was converted into a hatchery lab, where the eggs were reared to small fry before being released into nearby Moran Creek. From there, the kokanee made their way into Cascade Lake. Since that first release, the process has been repeated annually.

In late 2009, the number of adult kokanee that returned to Moran Creek to spawn was greater than in any previous year. It is hoped that, eventually, the project will be so successful in building a thriving run of kokanee, that the population will be self-sustaining, circumventing the need to import eggs from Lake Whatcom.

LLTK's Glenwood Springs Hatchery Manager Mike O'Connell has been instrumental in getting the Moran State Park kokanee program up and running. He continues to help Moran State Park and WDFW staff rear the kokanee on an annual basis. About 60,000 kokanee fry will be released in late May/early June.

Click here to learn more about our Glenwood Springs and other Orcas Island programs.