Landlocked Salmon in Canada: Kokanee & Ouananiche

Canada is home to two remarkable landlocked salmon forms: the kokanee (a freshwater sockeye salmon) of the west and the ouananiche (a freshwater Atlantic salmon) of the east. Though separated by geography and lineage, both species share an incredible ability to thrive in cold, freshwater systems, offering unique sportfishing opportunities across the country.

What Are Landlocked Salmon?

“Landlocked salmon” refers to salmon populations that complete their entire life cycle in freshwater, without migrating to the ocean. In Canada, this includes:

Kokanee – the landlocked form of Pacific sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), found in western Canada.
Ouananiche – the landlocked form of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), primarily found in eastern Canada.

Kokanee Salmon

Oncorhynchus nerka

Kokanee are sockeye salmon that have adapted to a completely freshwater life cycle, typically found in cold, deep lakes of British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon. They are smaller than their ocean-going relatives but display the same brilliant red spawning colours and aggressive behaviour.

Key Traits:

Size: 25–40 cm (10–16 in); 0.5–1.5 kg (1–3 lbs)
Appearance: Silver-blue body in lakes; turns bright red with green heads during spawning.
Diet: Zooplankton, small insects, and shrimp.
Spawning: Late summer to fall in tributary streams or shoreline gravel beds.
Behaviour: Schooling fish with strong surface activity, ideal for light-tackle or fly fishing.

Top Regions:

British Columbia: Kootenay Lake, Okanagan Lake, Arrow Lakes, Shuswap Lake.
Alberta: Lake Minnewanka, Spray Lakes Reservoir.
Yukon: Some stocked populations in deep lakes near Whitehorse.

Fishing Tips:

Best caught by trolling with small spoons, hoochies, or wedding rings behind flashers.
Use downriggers or lead-core lines to reach deep water in summer.
Light tackle enhances the fun of their feisty fight.

Ouananiche

Salmo salar – Landlocked Atlantic Salmon

Ouananiche (pronounced “wan-an-eesh”) are landlocked Atlantic salmon found in isolated lake systems of Quebec, Labrador, and parts of eastern Canada. These fish are powerful swimmers known for their acrobatics and selective feeding, making them a prized catch for experienced anglers.

Key Traits:

Size: Typically 1–2.5 kg (2–5.5 lbs); can exceed 4 kg (9 lbs)
Appearance: Bronze to olive bodies with dark spots, silvery in lakes; less dramatic spawning colours than kokanee.
Diet: Aquatic insects, small fish, and crustaceans.
Spawning: Cold rivers connected to lakes; fall spawners with strong site fidelity.
Behaviour: Fast and elusive, requiring stealth and precision from anglers.

Top Regions:

Quebec: Lac Saint-Jean, Saguenay River, Ashuapmushuan River.
Labrador: Lake Melville, Eagle River.
Newfoundland: Rare historical populations in isolated lakes.

Fishing Tips:

Effective techniques include streamer flies, nymphing, or small spoons and spinners.
Drift fishing and fly casting are productive in connecting rivers.
Peak fishing occurs during spring and early summer.

Comparison: Kokanee vs. Ouananiche

Image: Kokanee Salmon

	KOKANEE SALMON	OUANANICHE
Species Origin	Pacific Sockeye Salmon	Atlantic Salmon
Native Region	Western Canada (BC, Yukon, AB)	Eastern Canada (QC, Labrador)
Habitat Type	Cold, deep lakes	Lakes with river access
Max Size	~1.5 kg (3 lbs)	~2.5–4 kg (5–9 lbs)
Spawning Location	Stream inlets or lake shorelines	River mouths and gravel beds
Spawning Colors	Bright red with green head	Bronze/olive with faint spotting
Fishing Season	Summer–Fall	Spring–Early Summer
Techniques	Trolling, jigging, fly fishing	Fly fishing, casting, drift fishing

Unique but United

Though they come from opposite coasts and distinct salmon families, kokanee and ouananiche share the spirit of Canada’s freshwater wilderness. Their resilience in isolated ecosystems and their thrilling fights on the line make them standouts in the world of sportfishing.

Whether you're trolling deep western lakes for kokanee or fly casting in a rushing Quebec river for ouananiche, you're connecting with a species that has evolved to make freshwater home — and to make every catch memorable.