Lake Tahoe.
Kokanee return to the site of their birth within their freshwater systems between August and November, normally along inlet streams of the lakes or shoreline gravel beds. Mature Kokanee turn bright orange-red before the spawning season. The male displays more prominent coloration and develops a hooked jaw and humped back. The female selects a suitable nesting site, called a redd, and creates the egg bed by fanning or knocking gravel away with her tail. The male fends off intruders while the female works the redd. After the female lays up to 2,000 eggs in various batches, the male fertilizes them. They die after spawning is completed. The Kokanee hatch in late winter and remain in the gravel feeding on the egg-sac nutrients. The fry will then emerge from the redds in the spring. Lifespan is about 3-5 years.
Very interesting information you have shared about these fish. They look beautiful, even though I thought they were red chili peppers in the thumbnail... LOL.
Wonderful capture. We happened upon this a few years ago in Tahoe. Couldn't imagine anything topping it till we saw to bears further down the stream by a bridge eating the fish from the stream. Went back for 2 days and there they were eating their fill.
@lesip I hope we can go back again and see the bears. Normally we would have hiked, but this trip was impossible with the crutches, and actually I would have been afraid to see the bears and know that I could quickly move out!
@skipt07 a more mobile, but still using the crutches...the trail and footbridge to view were right beside the road where we parked, so easily accessed. thanks for asking!
October 12th, 2013
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