The Cedar River sockeye were introduced from the Baker. Initially released into Issaquah Creek, they moved to the Cedar. With a few notable exceptions, sockeye are not successfully cultured in hatcheries because of IHNVirus. In fact, spawning channels (the original idea that eventually led to the current hatchery) would have failed because of IHNV.

Because of a variety of reasons, which include warming of the lake and Ship Canal, increasing demands on water, increasing diversity of of competing and predating fish (smelt, walleye, etc,) the likelihood of having any sort of successful sockeye population in the Lake WA system is rather tiny, at best.