Sprague Lake, the good, the bad, and the ugly???

[tluedeke]

This is a fantastic, fascinating discussion. I've not fished Sprague as much as some of you guys, but I sure remember a killer ice fishery for perch, bluegill, and black crappie in the 2000 time frame. That lake used to be awesome for spiny rays, and the current troubles are quite puzzling to me. Anglinarcher's theories seem to explain a lot, however. Perhaps the lake needs to be seeded with native water plants (i.e. **not** milfoil) to try and produce some better habitat/cover for young bluegill/crappie. And when (not if) the carp return, encourage bowfisherman to attack the lake by putting a bounty on carp.

Regardless, I'd be a lot less irritated if the WDFW, instead of bragging each year how great the spiny ray fishery will be in Sprague (then it not turning out that way), would come out and honestly admit they have screwed this lake up (or at a minimum, admit there are "challenges").

Sprague is a rich lake and trout grow well there, but IMHO, it really should be a spiny ray lake due to its characteristics.

[Anglinarcher]

I agree on the plant life, but I wonder what the original plant life was.

With the hard rock bottom, little will grow that is not already either there or is starting to grow. I have not seen milfoil in Sprague so far, so ......

I will tell you what I would like to see. I wish they would allow us to sink some trees in the lake. Unfortunately there are fee local trees, so they would be like Christmas trees and the like.

[MarkFromSea]

Vid WDFW just released or I just found about Sprague: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1NTs2uP ... e=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Anglinarcher]

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/forum/vi ... 19&t=17897" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The above will link you back to another topic when that video first show up on WL. Our comments are on that one and are perhaps not worth bringing up again. MarkFromSea, review the comments and then watch the Video and let us know what you think then.

[Anglinarcher]

Hey guys, one more possible issue with Sprague. 30 years ago, in the places and states I lived, if a fishermen or duck hunter saw a cormorant we would quite possibly shoot it. If there were laws against that, either we did not know it or did not care about it.

Many states have now found the cormorant to be a real problem, but Federal Law, enforced by State enforcement, stops the average Joe and Jane from "thinning the flock" like we use to. Similar things use to happen to the gulls, but not to the same extent.

On my last trip to Sprague I was thinking about how Harper Island use to be covered with Geese most of the year. That flock was displaced with gulls, and is now being displaced with cormorants.

I apologize for the poor picture quality, but I had to zoom my cell phone in pretty far to get this. Tell me what you think.

[YellowBear]

Cormorants feed on the same fish that we do and they are protected, the Euraisan Dove provides food for us and it has no season or limits .

[hewesfisher]

HF, I understand your concerns, but let me address them.

First, Eastern Washington does indeed have a Fisheries Program. I copied the following from a couple of quick internet searches. I think you said "I was unaware that EWU had a notable marine biology program"; I think you need to define notable.

One time I asked about research and studies on several lakes in Eastern Washington and the Spokane office of F&W kept referring me to EWU and their Library. I cannot comment on "notable" or competent.

You got the jist of my comment.

Even though EWU has a fisheries "program" I don't know how competent it is. The current course catalog only lists two fisheries related courses (totaling 9 credits) for the MS in Biology degree. They are Icthyology (4credits) and Fisheries Biology and Management (5credits). So, only 9 of the 46 total credits required might actually be fisheries related. There are additional courses offered in Riparian Ecology, Stream Ecology, and Limnology which could augment the Fisheries courses, but there is no "fisheries emphasis" degree offered.

I hold a BA in Business from EWU with majors in finance and economics. My studies included courses in accounting, but that sure doesn't make me an expert in accounting practices. Now, if EWU offered an MS with course emphasis in Fisheries Management or Marine Biology vs an elective course or two...

Second, how do we define closed systems? Let me give you a few examples.

The lake I mentioned, Salmon Falls Creek Res. in Idaho, was a "closed system". All water that entered it was funneled into irrigation canals that eventually dumped into the desert and sank in or evaporated. There was no exit to down stream systems. OK, that was true until a major winter event in the mid 90's when for the first time in the history of the Dam water actually filled the Res., overflowed over the top of the dam (not even a spill way, good thing it was solid concrete) and headed for the Snake River through the old natural canyon system. I understand that Idaho did an emergency kill of the down stream section to keep Walleye from spreading --- too bad to because it was one of the best unknown hike in trout fishing I ever knew.

How about bucket biologist? Or is that Jonnie Fish seed? The State has captured Walleye in Silver Lake, Spokane County, and indicated that they were transplanted illegally from Sprague due to the growth rate indicated in the Scales. The walleye apparently could not spawn in Silver, but they were there. This is documented by the State.

Rehab or not, WDFW can't control inadvertent, illegal transplants. These will happen in spite of planned management. I hadn't heard of the walleye in Silver Lake. Know of them in Clear Lake and it was reported on WA Lakes just last year.

I have heard from a trusted source that a close friend of his caught some small Walleye in Rock Lake in Whitman County. With all of the fishing I do there, I would have expected that if they were reproducing I would have caught one by now, but that is not a given. I also can name several water systems that have been killed out for perch and Jonnie Fish Seed has put them back in. In reality, I am shocked that perch are not in Sprague now.

Not surprised at hearing of the Rock Lake walleye, no more so than the kokanee that were caught there and reported here last year as well.

Sprague has no chance of being a close system either. Not only do bucket biologist demonstrate it, but the body of water does have an outlet, one that eventually goes over Palouse Falls, then to the Snake/Columbia system. If Walleye are indeed in the process of being revised to an invasive species, like the Northern Pike, then .............. Because there is a direct link to the water that does connect with Tribal Lands, claims can be made by the tribes.

Seems a stretch to me, but wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

Please keep in mind that it is educated conjecture about the Tribal influence, but a document trail can be established. In a court of civil, you need only a preponderance of the evidence to prove your case. There is a preponderance of the evidence. Additionally, I believe EWU is doing nothing more then catering to those that need or want their services. If they did not then they would not have a fisheries research arm.

Agreed.

I need to go fishing.

[Anglinarcher]

OK, Marc Divens, one of the two in the boat and video we have seen on Sprague, has responded to me. So, now both Dan and Marc, the two in the boat have replied.

Marc gave me the following information, edited to remove personal information.

"......... As for the status of the fishery in Sprague Lake at this time, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, and Channel Catfish are currently providing the most angling opportunity. By all accounts, Bluegill and Crappie are at lower densities than we had expected at this point in time. Added to the mix are Brown Bullhead, Tench, Pickerel, and Sculpin, which survived the rotenone treatment or made their way into the lake following the rotenone treatment. As for achieving the right balance of predator and prey species within the lake, the current mix is preferable to an overabundant and stunted bluegill population. As for available forage for largemouth bass, there are many other prey to support their growth and condition than bluegill. With this knowledge, we will promote the fisheries for Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, and Channel Catfish currently available and stock additional adult Bluegill. Don’t lose sight of the fact that the primary goal of the Sprague Lake rehabilitation project is to provide greater angling opportunities than were being enjoyed just prior to that effort."

I think this is a start in the right direction, what about you.

[YellowBear]

If Bullhead,Sculpin,Pickerel and Tench are back in the Lake then so are Carp, funny how they missed the list.
I like the part about (By all accounts, Bluegill and Crappie are at lower densities than expected at this time) yet it has been said that there are large numbers of these fish in the lake. Did we not hear from the lips of WDFW that the year of the Bluegill in Sprague was suposed to be two years ago?

[Anglinarcher]

Yes, but I suppose that great expectations have fallen short.

[YellowBear]

On the up side Archer, we will be shooting Carp again in few years.