Wyoming’s kokanee salmon record, which has stood since 2009 was broken earlier this month thanks to the efforts of Lyons, Colorado angler George Sharman. Sharman caught a 6.31 pound kokanee while fishing at Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Sharman’s fish was 25.25 inches long and had a girth of 14 inches. It bested the previous state record caught in 2009 also out of Flaming Gorge by a little less than an ounce. Coincidentally, the previous record was caught six years ago, also in June.
Sharman, who fishes Flaming Gorge once a year, said he was fishing primarily for kokanee just outside Buckboard Marina. Fishing had been fairly quiet and earlier that day their party had boated one rainbow and a smaller kokanee. He was fishing at a depth of around 30 feet when the record fish took his chartreuse Rocky Mountain Assassin lure. Sharman knew he had a big fish, but after checking the Game and Fish website’s State Record Fish listing on his phone and weighing the fish on a portable scale in the boat, he knew he had a chance at the state record. His record was later confirmed that day on a certified scale at Buckboard Marina.
Kokanee are found in a number of waters in Wyoming and other states. The world record weighing 9 pounds 10 ounces was caught in Oregon in 2010.