kokanee fry stocked in washington?????

[red]

hi all -- i can't seem to find the kokanee fry stocked plants in washington state .were does washington fish and game list them now????.have they cut way back on planting kokanee ??? i always look at them but can"t seem to find them anymore. 101shock1101

 

[red]

this is not good

Smalma
03-30-2010, 10:58 PM
This is a huge issue for those of us that enjoy kokanee fishing here in Washington.

The Whatcom kokanee were the source for the vast majority of kokanee in this State (and much of the country for that matter). The Whatcom kokanee are a native fish to the lake. If I recall correctly the hatchery on Brinian Creek (south end of the lake) has been in operation for approximately a century, first as county facility and then with the creation of the Department of Game (1930s) a State facility. Millions of eggs are taken at that hatchery every year with many shipped for use in other lakes.

The tribal plans for the Middle Fork Nooksack is to introduce spring Chinook (not coho) above the diverson dam. Middle Fork Nooksack water is divert to lake Whatcom for domestic and industrial use (since early 1960s).

For decades there has been no history of dieseases of concern (virus etc) with the Whatcom fish. The concern is that with anadromous fish getting above the diversion dam the salmon could introduce diseases to the water system. In the past only a relative small number of adult kokanee (a 100 or so) had to be tested annually for diseases of concern since there has been no history of problems. The rub is that with the new potential of diseases policies require that all the brood fish be tested. However as a practical matter that is no possible; either physically or economically. It is often the case 100,000 or more adults will be spawned at the hatchery in a single year and there has been as many as 20,000 spawned in a single day.

Without that testing fry from Whatcom can not be used in other watersheds. That would mean for many of Washington Lakes future kokanee fishing will limited to whatever natural production is now occurring. In spite of extensive searches no satisfactory replacement for Whatcom has been found. There as some isolate lakes that can be used but the kokanee populations are too small to begin to provide the kinds of numbers needed for the state wide program.

Tight lines

 

[lowe1648mt]

Lake Whatcom Kokanee

I believe I raised this issue ( partially) over a year ago. Now it comes home to roost. I hope that it gets straightened out soon.

 

[red]

kokanee fry

I did some diging today on the kokanee stocked fry.this is what i found out. talked to Mike C at teds sport center in Lynwood.the kokanee fry will come from lake Roosevelt now.

 

[lowe1648mt]

Kokanee plants

Sounds good. Aren't the koks in Rosevelt larger and prolific? That should also leave more koks in Lake Whatcom for local fishermen it the future.

 

[William Dewey]

Maybe it is time to consider the "kokanee Power" solution.

California & Oregon have had the solution for several years and it seems to
work for them. Their program has outstripped anything this state has produced
for us. I am sure there are people within that organization that could help us
in getting things off the ground if the fishermen of this state would show the
will.
The same officials in this state who are content to do nothing for this
resource will probably be against it for some reason.

Bill Dewey

For individuals who are unfamiliar with this group check out their
web site and read who they are and what methods they used to establish
their program.

 

[smokin' Kokes]

Lake Roosevelt is producing outstanding fat big kokes now from the joint WDW and Spokane Tribal program with assistance from the Colville Tribal Fishery Dept. using the Spokane Tribal hatchery.
they're using both BC koke stock and native E. Wa. koke/sockeye bloodlines.
lots of big fat kokes 18">22" that like to commit winter suicide when the ice is off.

Yale is self sustaining from a large run on Canyon Creek, impressive to watch the masses of fish.

Merwin has a PacificCorp power agreement hatchery run jointly with the WDW. small run on Spelliyi Ck and a couple other smaller streams, season water rain variable
from what I can dig up, both Yale and Merwin are Lk. Stevens original stock but who knows with all the bucket packers around.

so much of the varied individual river drained lakes sockeye genetics has been lost forever. looks like Wallowa Lk. will be the next gene pool lost with all the lake development and septic tank drainage.

these kokes/sockeye must be extremely sensitive to lake water quality. Canada has lost most of their sockeye fishery.