Temporary Fishing Limits Lifted In Some Eastern Washington Lakes

[Marc Martyn]

The following is an announcement released by the WDFW today:

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091


http://wdfw.wa.gov/
August 26, 2009
Contact: Jim Uehara, (360) 902-2738

Fishing limits lifted on some eastern
Washington waters slated for treatment
OLYMPIA - Catch and size limits have been lifted temporarily for fisheries in about two-dozen eastern Washington waters scheduled for rotenone treatments to improve future fishing.
Anglers will be allowed to take unlimited fish from the targeted waters before they are closed for rotenone treatment to eliminate undesirable fish species that compete with trout, according to Jim Uehara, a fisheries manager with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Rotenone, a naturally occurring substance derived from the roots of tropical plants, has been found in scientific studies to present no significant health risk to people, pets, livestock or wildlife. The lake rehabilitations are carried out under a permit from the state Department of Ecology.
Most of the waters scheduled for treatment this fall have overly abundant populations of carp, tench, goldfish, sunfish or other small species, and most will be re-stocked next year with rainbow and/or cutthroat trout. Cee Cee Ah Creek in Pend Oreille County will be treated to remove eastern brook trout populations, in an effort to restore native westslope cutthroat trout.
By county, rule changes and closure dates for waters scheduled for treatment are:

* Grant County: Desert Wildlife Area Lakes (Harris, Dune, Sedge, Tern and Desert Wildlife Area ponds); Beda and Brookies lakes - No size or catch limits through Sept. 13; closed to fishing Sept.14 until further notice; at Beda and Brookies lakes, selective gear rules are no longer in effect; fishing allowed from a floating device equipped with a motor.
* Lincoln County: Fishtrap Lake - No size or catch limits through Oct. 11; closed to fishing Oct. 12 until further notice.
* Okanogan County: Buck Lake - No size or catch limits through Oct. 25; closed to fishing Oct. 26 until further notice.
* Spokane County: Hog Canyon Lake and Creek - No size or catch limits until Oct. 11; closed to fishing Oct. 12 until further notice. West Medical Lake - No size or catch limits through Oct. 25; closed to fishing Oct. 26 until further notice.

[Anglinarcher]

Thanks Marc, I think this will sure help Hog Canyon out.

[Kfedka]

Just finished reading on there, site was going to post here, but you beat me.

[medic1]

Glad to see that WDFW thinks that trout are the most important fish species. It is a good thing that they are going to fix these lakes like they "fixed" Sprague lake

[Bodofish]

Yeah they've been needing it for a while. Get rid of all those nasty bassy weeds and those rotten panfish.

[Bruce Nelson]

There is a good article in "Northwest Sportsman" about the harm Johnny Bass Seed does with his bucket biology. To bad the WDFW doesn't have the bucks to rotenone more lakes!

[Anglinarcher]

LOL - Notice I only mentioned Hog Canyon? My understanding is that the problem is stunted Bullhead Cats in there, and with a winter only fishing rule, no one could catch them to keep the numbers down.

The rest of the lakes will not get me drawn into a battle over - even if you get me mad about loosing Sprague.

[Kfedka]

There is a good article in "Northwest Sportsman" about the harm Johnny Bass Seed does with his bucket biology. To bad the WDFW doesn't have the bucks to rotenone more lakes!

Anyway you can post article here?

[Fish On!]

I stopped by Beda Lake earlier in the week to check out the water and it's all nasty weeds and goo for a long way out, so I didn't want to mess getting my kayak in that stink. Does anyone know if there's another spot to launch?

I saw a list of Seep Lakes that were going to be killed off last Fall and see none are on the list. Just returned from that area and they are all in sad shape with a gazillion stunted bass, sunfish and perch. There was some fantastic fishing 10 years ago when they killed them off. Took about 4 years before the bucket morons wrecked it.

[Jsmooth]

Is it true that u can go to a lake the day they treat it and retrieve fish as they pop up? Someone told me this but haven't been able to verify if its true or not. If you can are the fish worth eating?

[Marc Martyn]

I have heard that also over the years. I think that many years ago you could do that, but with the environmental concerns with the chemical Rotenone, which is basically a insecticide, the game department would not likely approve of it. When they close a lake, it is not just for fishing, but for harvesting also. It takes a certain amount of time for the chemical to dissipate in the lake.

I may be wrong, but to be sure, call the game department.

[Blackmouth]

Is it true that u can go to a lake the day they treat it and retrieve fish as they pop up? Someone told me this but haven't been able to verify if its true or not. If you can are the fish worth eating?

Why don't you go test it out and report back