Why can CDOW use Elevenmile Reservoir as a kokanee egg supply?
Kokanee eggs have been collected from Elevenmile in the past, from 1978-1981, but it did not become an annual source of eggs. Although the reservoir has large kokanee, populations containing the largest kokanee are not the best sources for eggs. Years of study at Lake Granby showed more steady annual egg production from mid-size kokanee spawners over the years than from either the largest or smallest sized spawners. This is because mid-sized fish are larger than small ones and more numerous than large ones. Also, recent efforts to build up the Elevenmile kokanee population were stymied by a severe gill lice outbreak.
