Landlocked salmon spawning at Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. -- One of Lake Tahoe's more popular nature shows of the year is off to a promising start.

Thousands of kokanee salmon are swimming up Taylor Creek off the lake's south shore as part of their annual spawning ritual.

U.S. Forest Service officials said while the run doesn't typically peak until mid-October, it's off to a good start. They said as many as 50,000 of the fish may make the journey upstream this year.

Landlocked cousins of the seagoing sockeye salmon, the kokanee were introduced to Lake Tahoe in 1944 by biologists, said Forest Service spokesman Rex Norman.

They quickly adapted to the alpine environment, joining brown and rainbow trout and mackinaw.

"Each autumn, nature calls mature kokanee to return to the streams from which they were hatched, select a mate and die," Norman said.

"As that time approaches, adult males develop a humped back and a heavy, hooked jaw, equipping them for the inevitable battles over both mates and territory, and both sexes turn from their usual silver-blue color to a brilliant red."

The run coincides with this weekend's 19th annual Kokanee Salmon Festival at the Forest Service Visitor Center.

The center, three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89, features the Taylor Creek Stream Profile Chamber, where visitors can get a below-the-surface view of the kokanee. Earlier this week, a young bear was seen trying to catch some of the fish as visitors watched.

The event also includes a salmon feed, races and educational programs and booths.