Rapid water drop at Lucky Peak and affect on future fishing

[sawtooth]

With the rapid drop of the water level at Lucky Peak this year, I was wondering if anyone has heard what affects this might have on the Koke fishing in a few years? Does the fish and game plan on increasing the hatchery fish numbers to make up for the lose of wild fish? Or do they feel that the wild fish numbers are not a real factor in this fishery? I don't see how the fish will be able to spawn in the lake when their beds are dry. I realize that irrigation and dam maintenance take priority over fishing, but I sure would hate to see a poor season in a few years from now.

 

[lnnnsxt]

The drop in water level is a yearly occurrence, they will stabilize the water level usually in the middle of October. The water drop just happens to coincide with the spawn, so there aren't a whole lot of fish that will be on the bite regardless, which includes the non-spawning fish. So if you wait until they slow the drop to about a foot or less per day, then the fish will turn back on and keep up a good bite until the lake begins to freeze over in December.

 

[sawtooth]

I understand the yearly drop in water level. My question is the timing of the drop with the spawners in the lake. Not concerned with the fishing at the moment. I was wondering if the lack of a spawn in the lake this year will have an affect on fishing in three or four years from now. Has there ever been a study done on the ratio of wild vs hatchery fish being caught in the Lucky Peak fishery.

 

[kodiak1]

They are dropping the reservoir so quickly because they have planned repairs on Arrowrock this fall. The Mores Creek fish headed upstream long ago, and the majority of kokanee in L.P. are planted, and this shouldn't affect them at all.

 

[lnnnsxt]

I took this picture after the water level was down about 30 feet just downstream of Robie Creek Rd. Clearly these fish have no problem navigating low water, now if the creek flow decreased, that would be a different story.

 

[Mojo]

There is virtually no natural recruitment IN lucky Peak. The gravel shorelines needed to successfully rear eggs and aelvins are not present. The sandy silt bottom with areas of large rocky patches just is not conducive to successful spawning. Any eggs layed would soon suffocate due to the silt.

There are some fish that spawn below Arrowrock, and quite a few that spawn up the Robie/Mores/Grimes Creek drainages and those do add to the planters in LP. All in all LP is a planted kokanee fishery, and always will be unless they knock down Arrowrock, or find a way to raise the streamflows in Robie/Mores/Grimes creeks...