Saw an episode of Hunt Fish NW fishing American Lake for Kokanee. I have a buddy that lives near, and fishes it regularly. I quit fishing it years ago when numbers dropped off. Why doesn't anyone still fish for them there any more? Do they not plant enough, compared to the 80's? Back in then we did nothing but still fish for them with huge success, using fly rods and a full sink line. I think the limit was 18 per person and we could get close when it was hot. My dad was a Puget Power employee and Puget owned a company camp next to the boat launch on the south shore. That has been sold and developed years ago. They had 10' Livingstons to use, we would slap our outboard onto. We either anchored and still fished in front of the Vet Hospital or the little lake end. Hardly anyone trolled back then, most still fished on anchor. We used a bran and feeder egg mix to chum. Red fly w/ maggots on the tip, from Bill's Boathouse...I think is still there. Once you got them around your boat it could get hot. They must have planted over a million per year back then compared to 400k today. Must not be enough fish to make anchor fishing worth it. Great memories.

Trolled there once about 15 years ago. It was pretty good then. I think that WDFW is having rouble getting enough Kokanee broodstock now. Just fewer fish to go around. But that memory (lack of brood) is hazy.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/statewide