The running of the fishes
The 18th annual Kokanee Salmon Festival takes place at South Shore on October 6 and 7. A brilliantly-colored spectacle, if a little morbid, the Kokanee salmon return to the streams where they were hatched, find a mate, spawn, and- here's the morbid part- die. During this season, the adult males develop a humpback and a big hooked jaw- all the better for battling for a mate- and the adults, both male and female, change from their normal fishy color to a brilliant red hue.
During the annual festival celebrating this event, there's a salmon barbecue, road races, and lots of family-friendly crafts, displays and activities.
Fun facts:
- The Kokanee salmon are not native to Lake Tahoe, but were introduced to the high alpine lake in 1944.
- The mascot of the cross-country team at Lake Tahoe Community College was the Kokanee.
- The salmon served at the festival's barbecue is not Tahoe Kokanee, but instead, salmon from the Pacific.
- The Taylor Creek facilties include a Stream Profile Center, a room built into the ground alongside the stream, with glass walls facing Taylor Creek, allowing visitors a 'fish-eye' view of the eco-system.
For more information about the Kokanee Salmon Festival, contact the US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit at 530-543-260
