Some History of Sakinaw Lake : Salmonids of Sakinaw LakeSockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon and Cutthroat Trout
Sakinaw Sockeye is the last remaining stock of sockeye in Georgia Strait. The run size has declined to an average of less than 100 fish over the past ten years. This run is now considered as endangered stock. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has initiated a Recovery Program to rebuild the run to its historic levels.
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Sakinaw Sockeye migrate into the lake beginning in May through till September. The peak of the migration occurs in early August. When they enter the lake after two years at sea, both males and females develop bright red bodies and green heads. Sakinaw lake Sockeye spawn in up welling ground water areas along creek mouths down to depths of 15 meters. They do not enter the creek to spawn. The fry emerge from the gravel in April and remain in the lake for the two years before migrating out of the lake in the spring as smolts.
Sakinaw Coho come into the lake in October through December spawning occurs in tributary streams from November through January. Coho spawners develop bright red sides and greenish backs. Fry emerge from the gravel in April and May and migrate out of the creeks into the lake as stream flows drop in the summer. Coho fry rear for one year along the shoreline and migrate to the ocean in spring as smolts. The majority of the Coho return as 3 year olds and can weigh up to 10kgs. Coho return range from 400 to 2500 adults each year. 
Sakinaw Lake contains two different strains of cutthroat Trout. Resident trout spawn in the fall in tributary streams like the Ruby lake cutthroat. Sea run cutthroat return from the ocean in spring to spawn in tributary streams and then migrate back out to the ocean feeding on out migrating Coho and sockeye smolts. 
