Mack Attack Magazine

By Mack's Lure Staff

Dan Avery Lands a 27-Inch Giant Kokanee at Wallowa Lake

Every kokanee angler dreams about catching the fish of a lifetime. For Dan Avery, that dream became reality on July 16, 2026, when a routine afternoon trolling session at Oregon's Wallowa Lake turned into one of the most memorable catches in recent kokanee fishing history.

Avery's massive kokanee measured 27 inches and tipped the scales at an incredible 8 pounds, 8 ounces on a certified scale. While the fish isn't a state or lake record because of the legendary giants Wallowa produced in 2010, Avery has been told it ranks as the fifth-largest kokanee ever weighed on a certified scale. More importantly, it's a catch he'll never forget.

"I Knew It Was Different."

The moment the fish struck, Avery sensed something extraordinary. "We were trolling along the southwest side of Wallowa Lake near the marina in 100 feet of water, fishing 41 feet down on the downrigger," he said. "The fish hit hard enough to pull the line out of my downrigger clip."

Unlike many anglers, Avery sets his downrigger release fairly tight, preferring to manually pop the line free after grabbing the rod instead of allowing fish to release themselves instantly. "When I picked up the rod, the weight was much heavier than a normal fish. Honestly, my first thought was that we had snagged something."

A glance at his fish finder confirmed otherwise. "We were still in 100 feet of water and only fishing 41 feet down. Then the fish made its first run." That run nearly ended the battle before it really began. The giant kokanee stripped line so quickly from Avery's Daiwa Lexa 100 LC reel that only about 20 feet remained on the spool. "I tightened the drag, which is something I tell people to never do, and finally managed to turn his head."

From there, the fish made several more powerful runs before Avery was finally able to bring it into view. "At first, I still wasn't convinced it wasn't a huge lake trout or rainbow trout...