Press Release ...Fish & Game

Anglers and netters have together been making a dent in part of Lake Pend Oreille’s predator population in 2007 according to Idaho Fish and Game Regional Fishery Manager Ned Horner.

Through mid April, anglers had turned in just under 2,500 lake trout heads since January. In addition, gill and trap netting started the last week in March and in four weeks of netting, 1,029 lake trout had been removed.

“The 3,500+ lake trout removed so far this year amount to about 22% of the total taken in 2006, so we are well ahead of last year, at least for lake trout” said Horner.

Anglers are being paid $15 for every lake trout and rainbow trout over 12 inches harvested from Lake Pend Oreille to quickly reduce the predator population to prevent kokanee from disappearing. For 2007, The Clark Fork River, Lightning Creek and tributaries, Grouse Creek and tributaries and the Pack River were also opened up to harvest of rainbow trout on April 1.

Harbor Fisheries has been contracted to run deep water trap nets and gill nets to remove lake trout under Idaho Fish and Game supervision. Netters will be active through May and then all nets will be removed for June, July and the first part of August.

There will be no gill netting east of the Long Bridge during the K&K Derby to reduce conflicts with anglers. However, anglers need to be aware that there are still 10 deep water trap nets in the north end of the lake (Lee’s Point, Sheepherder Point, Thompson Point, Pearl Island, Warren Island East and West, Sunnyside, Fishermen’s Island, Bottle Bay and Sourdough Point). Watch for the orange flags on staff buoys marking their locations.

Rainbow trout harvest by anglers is lagging behind the harvest of lake trout. Between January and mid April about 640 rainbow trout have been turned in for the $15/fish reward. This includes 66 rainbow trout harvested from tributary streams, most from the Clark Fork River.

Water temperatures have been cold, so fishing should be picking up soon as the water warms. “Hopefully anglers will start targeting more rainbow trout so we can reduce overall kokanee predation before we run out of time. We’re off to a great start, we just need to step it up a few notches” said Horner.

For more information on the Angler Incentive Program, go to the IDFG web site at www.fishandgame.idaho.gov.


Open Attachment 07March24 LPO Predator Harvest in High Gear.doc Open
Open Attachment Trap net drawing.doc Open
Open Attachment Trap Net Map 2007-2.doc Open