Photos of Lake Sammamish kokanee, a freshwater sockeye salmon that lives its life in the lake rather than migrating to food-rich salt water. These kokanee photos were taken in during the spawning runs in creeks that flow into Lake Sammamish and fish were in their spawning colors. Kokanee living in lakes look more silvery and are commonly known as "silver trout" or "bluebacks."
A male and female pair up for spawning in the bubbly of Ebright Creek, photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
Kokanee pair up to spawn in restored habitat in Ebright Creek, Sammamish. Photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
Lake Sammamish kokanee in Ebright Creek, Sammamish. Photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
A male (background) and female (foreground) pair up to spawn in Ebright Creek, photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
Ebright Creek is the site of a restoration project that opened good habitat for migrating fish, photo by Roger Tabor, USFWS
Kokanee spawning pair in Lewis Creek - photo by Bill Priest ©
Male kokanee - photo by Scott Craig ©
Male kokanee or land-locked sockeye salmon, showing size - Ebright Creek
Male kokanee salmon from Laughing Jacobs Creek
Male kokanee from a 2003 survey of Laughing Jacobs Creek
Male kokanee from a 2003 survey of Laughing Jacobs Creek
Male kokanee showing it's relative size, from Laughing Jacobs Creek
Dead male kokanee from a 2008 survey of Lewis Creek and Ebright Creek
Female kokanee from Issaquah Creek
Female kokanee from Laughing Jacobs Creek
Female kokanee size - Lewis Creek
Spawned female kokanee - Issaquah Creek
Kokanee running up Ebright Creek - photo by Vali Eberhardt ©
Kokanee among the cobbles of Lewis Creek
Kokanee in the riffles of Lewis Creek
Kokanee in a run on Lewis Creek
Biologists dissect a dead kokaneeon a survey of Lewis Creek and Ebright Creek
Photos are by Hans Berge and Tim O'Leary unless otherwise noted.
For questions about Lake Sammamish kokanee and these photos, please contact Perry Falcone , Kokanee Recovery Manager, WLRD Regional Partnerships Unit.