Change in kokanee limit on Deadwood

[Physion]

Just an fyi, the kokanee limit on Deadwood is now 15.

[pollackoke]

Good call by IF&G. The 25 fish limit was too much; and the fishery was headed for trouble due to harvest pressure. Thanks for the heads up Physh.

[MackayGuy]

But.....the more harvested the bigger the remaining ones get. To a point. Maybe the lake is at that point. I doubt everyone who fishes there catches the 25 limit, and probably won’t get the 15 limit either.

[SuperD]

It's a slippery slope. The managers are always in reaction mode and never know about the problem until it has swung to one extreme.

[gonefishing]

Deadwood at one point was over run with kokanee. I myself remember a trip quite a few years back where as catching 25 7 to 8" Kokes was as easy as simply getting in the water and throwing anything at them. The adjustment of the population of Kokanee managed by the IDFG is another success story of their great management of Idaho waters. I would take 15 larger kokanee any day over a bucket full of Pigmy Kokes. Like wise the IDFG have increased the limits in other areas to prevent the over population issues. For a under funded agency, my hats off to them. Fishing in the waters of Idaho helps one appreciate and understand the process of developing good fishing in given waters. Thank You IDFG. worthy12

[MackayGuy]

Wow. That endorsement deserves a license discount.

[gonefishing]

I already have the senior discount. I would feel guilty adding to it. thumbsup

[terek]

im planning a trip up there this spring, but cant for the life of me find the boat launch on a map.....

[Physion]

There is a crude boat launch at the campground at the south end of the reservoir. No dock is available. I have seen it but not used it. Most people launch off the bank where the river comes in at the north end of the reservoir.

Check the road conditions before you try to go in. Snow can prevent access until some time in June, depending on which road you want to use. And plan to drive slowly. The road can be as bad as the Arrowrock road. Sometimes worse. I have seen several boat trailers as well as parts along the road between Landmark and the reservoir.

[pollackoke]

Good boat ramp at Cozy Cove Campground (USFS) west of the dam.

Regarding the catch limit and adjustments: At an IF&G lecture at Cabala's a couple years back... their top fish guy explained one of the issues challenging the managers is the number of fish allowed upstream for the spawn. During the spawn, IF&G installs a weir across the river to avoid over production (to avoid the stunting problem). Also realize that we all depend statewide on the "take" from Deadwood by IF&G to stock all Kokanee hatchery operations. So...... here you got those folks trying to dial in the reproduction at Deadwood, while "taking" breeders for statweide hatcheries. Quite a high wire act to say the least.

And, yea, we are very lucky to have such dedicated, hard working folks doing the excellent job they do for us hookers. Consider too, there has been a big upswing in the number of boats plying Deadwood Res. We boomers, retiring in large numbers, having the wherewithal to acquire these specialized boats and equipment.... it's been a big change for the managers to keep up with.

Peace-out you silver-haired Kokanee wranglers

[Physion]

Part of the justification listed earlier this fall is the need for eggs for the hatcheries so fish can be planted in Lucky Peak, etc. The last two years have been a bit scant, so the Lucky Peak fishery was supplemented using late spawners from another source. I think the early spawners from Deadwood are better fish so I hope the change is beneficial.

Snowfall, the timing of the spring runoff, BOR managing water releases, irrigation needs, increasing numbers of boats on the water, etc are additional factors the fishery managers have to balance. A difficult challenge at best when so many factors are beyond their control. I agree with your support of IDFG. It's a hard job with no way of pleasing everyone.

One question: how much are the chinook in Deadwood affecting the kokanee population? I may be in the minority, but I would rather be catching kokanee than chinook.

[rem40xb1]

I have fished it for years and I have never seen a lot of boats at Deadwood and most of the time when you talk to the fishermen they seldom have 10 or more fish. Having a 15 fish limit is not going to help Deadwood with fish numbers. If they want to help Deadwood the best way would be leave it alone

[pollackoke]

The heavy boat numbers occur on the weekends.

[rem40xb1]

The heavy boat numbers occur on the weekends.

I went to deadwood over 10 times this last year on week ends and during the week. I never saw over 6 or seven boats and I talked to several fishermen that were kookanee fishing and none of them had over about 15 fish--The one thing you don't see at deadwood is a game warden checking fishermen for limits--I have fished deadwood for many years and I have never been checked by the IDFG--Just where are they getting there information about Deadwood being over fished--For me it doesn't matter what the Kookanee limit is I just hate to see them blame the fisherman for there management blunders--They kept to many fish from going up river to spawn and now they want to blame the Kookanee fisherman for the low numbers

[katnapper]

I went to Deadwood 6 times last year. The most I ever bagged was 23 kokanee. The fish seemed a lot larger this past year and after my experience fishing there after the spawn, I have an idea. My last trip, after the spawn, I couldn't catch a kokanee larger than 8-10 inches. This kind of leads me to believe that I was catching 1 year old kokanee.
Where did the 2 year old kokes go? If you all recall, the Pioneer Fire ripped through that area late 2017. Back in 2012, the mustang fire burned above Anderson Ranch and fish and game estimated that they had an 80% loss of kokanee population due to pH level changing from ash and fire retardant washing down stream to Anderson. Could the Pioneer Fire have wiped out close to a year's spawn from the tributaries getting too hot or pH changes?
As I said before, the size of the kokanee from this past summer were much larger than previous years. If 1 year's spawn didn't make it, that would have reduced the population and the competition for food explaining the size difference.
I'm planning on hitting Deadwood this coming summer just to see the size of the fish. Might not be a good koke year this year, but if I'm right, the 2020 matured adults will again be large.

[rem40xb1]

About a month ago some people took snow machines into Deadwood and ice fished--They caught several kookanee and some chinook--The kookanee were about 13-16" The reason there is a reduced number of kookanee is because it is over harvested by all the fishermen according to fish and game--I don't know where they got there information but I do know the people I fish deadwood with have never been checked by any fish and game employee and they have been fishing it for over 40 years--I fish deadwood 6 to 10 times every year and I have never seen any person get checked by the fish and game. I say BS to the fish and game blaming the fishermen for the low numbers of fish in deadwood--Just maybe they didn't let enough fish go up and spawn to maintain a good population in deadwood--That would be a mistake and the F&G don't make mistakes

[pollackoke]

Well, Rem40 may have a salient point here. I have been to Deadwood many times and encountered a IF&G person checking only once. So some folks may be taking too many fish and expecting no presence from IF&G. But this is an issue most rightly tied to funding not lack of willingness by IF&G. Their funds grow shorter in relation to their responsibilities more or less continuously. And I know they have had glitches in managing the number of fish allowed up stream to spawn. Remember, Deadwood has been the major source of Kokanee eggs for Idaho's hatcheries. The Kokanee of Deadwood are great for this purpose. So dialing in the numbers precisely is very difficult. I bet we will see this as a temporary bump in the road; and IF&G will get this figured out. In the meantime, they will do all the work and we get all the fun. Not a bad place for us hookers to be.