Viewing platform
Spawning channel
Watch the red kokanee hold in the current and move upstream from the platform along the channel.
Guide · Fall on Kootenay Lake
The kokanee
salmon run.
Each late summer and fall, thousands of kokanee turn brilliant red and crowd the creeks of Kokanee Creek Provincial Park to spawn—one of the Kootenays’ great natural spectacles, minutes from The Nest Estate.
- Aug–Oct
- The typical spawning season
- Mid-Sept
- Usually the best viewing
- 5–10 min
- From The Nest Estate
- 1
- Spawning channel with a viewing platform
Where to see it
Kokanee Creek Provincial Park.
On the West Arm of Kootenay Lake between Nelson and Balfour, the park has a spawning channel and viewing platform built for watching the run up close.
West end of the park
Redfish Creek
A quieter area named for the red fish that gather at its mouth before heading upstream.
Make a morning of it
Beach & trails
Walk the lakeside trails and beaches afterward—far quieter than in summer.
Tips
Getting the most from it.
Varies each year
Timing
Numbers and timing change year to year; mid-September is usually strongest.
Bring them
Polarized sunglasses
They cut the glare and make the fish far easier to see.
Bears & birds
Watch for wildlife
The run draws wildlife—keep your distance and follow park guidance.
Good to know
Questions, answered.
When is the kokanee salmon run near Nelson?
Usually between August and October, with mid-September typically the best time to see it.
How far is Kokanee Creek Park from The Nest Estate?
About 5–10 minutes by car.
Are kokanee the same as sockeye salmon?
Kokanee are a landlocked form of sockeye that live their whole lives in the lake, turning bright red when they spawn.
The Nest Estate
Fall on the lake,
from your deck.
Quiet midweek stays, hot tubs and colour on the mountains.
See fall at the estateAvailability alerts
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when dates open.
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