New waters for kokanees

[Kent]

I don't mind kokanee being planted in lots of reservoirs, but I would also sure like to see sterile macks planted in several local reservoirs.

If I read correctly in the other thread, one of the Bear Lake biologists said they started planting macks in new waters. Causey and Stateline were mentioned.

Which lakes did you have in mind, Kent?

Jordanelle instead of or in addition to the kokanee and wipers.  I actually had an email exchange with a UDWR biologist, who was on the committee that decided what predators were going to be put into Jordanelle.  He said that sterile macks were considered and he was surprised that the majority went with other species.

Other possibilities are Deer Creek, Electric Lake, Rockport, East Canyon, Currant Creek, Porcupine and anywhere else that they could thrive.  I don't expect to have them planted everywhere, but it would be nice to have a few closer waters that had them on the menu.  

You will notice that I didn't list Strawberry.  I have had an exchange with the Strawberry biologist and he has convinced me that there isn't adequate oxygen, in the deeper water, to support macks at Strawberry.

[BYUHunter]

I don't mind kokanee being planted in lots of reservoirs, but I would also sure like to see sterile macks planted in several local reservoirs.

If I read correctly in the other thread, one of the Bear Lake biologists said they started planting macks in new waters. Causey and Stateline were mentioned.

Which lakes did you have in mind, Kent?

Jordanelle instead of or in addition to the kokanee and wipers.  I actually had an email exchange with a UDWR biologist, who was on the committee that decided what predators were going to be put into Jordanelle.  He said that sterile macks were considered and he was surprised that the majority went with other species.

Other possibilities are Deer Creek, Electric Lake, Rockport, East Canyon, Currant Creek, Porcupine and anywhere else that they could thrive.  I don't expect to have them planted everywhere, but it would be nice to have a few closer waters that had them on the menu.  

You will notice that I didn't list Strawberry.  I have had an exchange with the Strawberry biologist and he has convinced me that there isn't adequate oxygen, in the deeper water, to support macks at Strawberry.

Did the biologist say why Strawberry lacks the oxygen down deep? I've caught plenty of Cutts at the sort of depths you'd expect to find Lakers lurking.

[Kent]

I don't mind kokanee being planted in lots of reservoirs, but I would also sure like to see sterile macks planted in several local reservoirs.

If I read correctly in the other thread, one of the Bear Lake biologists said they started planting macks in new waters. Causey and Stateline were mentioned.

Which lakes did you have in mind, Kent?

Jordanelle instead of or in addition to the kokanee and wipers.  I actually had an email exchange with a UDWR biologist, who was on the committee that decided what predators were going to be put into Jordanelle.  He said that sterile macks were considered and he was surprised that the majority went with other species.

Other possibilities are Deer Creek, Electric Lake, Rockport, East Canyon, Currant Creek, Porcupine and anywhere else that they could thrive.  I don't expect to have them planted everywhere, but it would be nice to have a few closer waters that had them on the menu.  

You will notice that I didn't list Strawberry.  I have had an exchange with the Strawberry biologist and he has convinced me that there isn't adequate oxygen, in the deeper water, to support macks at Strawberry.

Did the biologist say why Strawberry lacks the oxygen down deep? I've caught plenty of Cutts at the sort of depths you'd expect to find Lakers lurking.

Yes, quoting Alan Ward (with his permission):

"Below is a graph of the oxygen and temperature profiles for Strawberry.  This same pattern happens late summer every year for about 2 months starting in late July - early August and ends when the reservoir mixes in Oct.  These readings have been taken from 12 sites around Strawberry by the Department of Environmental Quality for many years.  The reason it happens is that our water is so productive that the decomposing algae uses up all of the oxygen below the thermocline (where you see the sharp transition in temperature).  The upper and lower layers of warm and cool water do not mix due to the density differences, so this condition persists for all of the late summer and early fall.  We actually see a decline in cutthroat condition during this same period due to them being confined to the narrow in-between zone where it is a little cooler, and there is still adequate oxygen (typically above 5 mg/L, which is good to know when fishing the late summer).  Sometimes the cutthroat will venture into the warmer water to feed, but usually retreat back to the cooler water.  So in this example in September, most fish would not venture lower than about 12 meters for very long due to the low oxygen, which would put them in about 14 C water.  This would be OK for cutthroat other than it limits their ability to forage, but lake trout like cooler water than that (from what I remember they prefer 10 C or lower).  This can vary a little by year, but the pattern is always the same.  There are times (typically during a hot August) that the fish are forced into water 16-17 C, with surface waters over 20 C.  Some lakers may survive, but they would struggle through this period.

Also, for what it is worth, I have been told that lake trout were put in Strawberry in the distant past, but for some reason they did not persist, and managers did not pursue them further.  I agree they would be fun, but we have not had the general public ask for them, and doubt that they would do all that well.  In addition, there would likely be direct impacts to the cutthroat populations (and the kokanee) from lake trout predation similar to what they see in Yellowstone, if they did happen to survive and grow well, and sterile fish would have to be used to control this.  

Just a few random thoughts"

[catchinon]

Interesting. I would think that Currant Creek would be good.

I was told in another thread that I should look elsewhere (than Willard) if I wanted to catch some wipers so I researched the history of plantings of them. Until just a few years ago they were mostly planted in Willard and Newcastle. Since about 2015 they have been planted widely into community ponds and several reservoirs. There are at least three places within casting distance of my house and some pretty good reservoirs not too far away that are not that well known as wiper hotspots. My point is that the DWR is introducing a lot of different fish to new waters. FWIW.