Fall Fish Festival – Fun for All Ages!

The 2016 Fall Fish Fest, also known as Kokanee Salmon Festival, will be in South Lake Tahoe Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd from 10:00am to 4:00pm each day. Gather your family and watch the Kokanee salmon spawn in Taylor Creek. The U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center at Taylor Creek will be hosting the events of the weekend including organized runs, children’s activities, and guided hikes through the forest that lead you to the spawning salmon. 

Get educated: the Forest Service biologists will lead visitors on a 1/2 mile Rainbow trail loop to explain the natural wonders of Kokanee salmon.

Get active: there will be a 1/2 marathon, a 5k/10k (walkers welcome), and a “Tadpole Trot” on Sunday, October 2nd beginning at 7:00am. Registration begins at 6:00am on race day, or it can begin right now if you click here. 

Get excited: there will be plenty of activities appropriate for the littlest fish-lover of the family. There will be a treasure hunt, the Bumble Bee Ice Cream truck, a giant inflatable fish, and rumor has it Smokey the Bear will even be making an appearance!

Since the Fall Fish Festival is fun for the whole family, why not stay in our Family Favorite home? There’s room for up to 10, a kids’ room with a twin bunks and a full bed, a game room, and a hot tub to relax in after a day of salmon spawning activities. 

Take your Kids to the Lake Tahoe Fall Fish Festival

October in South Lake Tahoe is a wonderful time; no crowds, gorgeous weather and still the city is packed with plenty of activities for the whole family.

October is especially known for the Fall Fish Festival. Once known as the Kokonee Salmon festival, the Fall Fish Festival in Lake Tahoe is held at Taylor Creek each year, nearby Camp Richardson. This fishy festival focuses on the differnt species of fish that are in Lake Tahoe and the connecting streams, rivers, and tributaries.

Kokanee Salmon are named for the red color and tend to be smaller than other salmon species, 14 inches long. Kokanees were not indiginous to Lake Tahoe. They were accidentally introduced due to an overflow at the old Tahoe City Hatchery in 1949. To learn more about the Kokanee Salmon and the upcoming Fish Festival visit the Tahoe Kids Guide and just a reminder bears LOVE the Fall Fish Festival as well. Read on for tips on how to be safe in the event of a bear encounter during this time, from the Merced Sun. For more fun happening in South Lake Tahoe in October, check out our calendar of events!