Brewster Pool Closes for Sockeye

[C-Money]

WDFW is closing the Brewster Pool Sunday one hour after sunset for sockeye retention. Darn drought.

https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=1643

[Ridgeratt]

Might not make folks happy but if it will keep the run going it's a good thing. Someplace I saw they said if the fish don't make it perhaps a loss of 50% or more of this years run.

Just means I have to find a new target fish!!!   

[bear]

The loss is gonna be close to 100%.  There really isn't any way that any of the 500,000 fish over Bonneville are gonna spawn. Okanogan river is too warm.  Okanogan lake and oysoyoos lake are too warm too.  There is no amount of rain that will bring these temps down enough

[h2ofowlr]

A huge die off will really impact the fishing in a few years when minimal returns are seen.

[bearpaw]

The loss is gonna be close to 100%.  There really isn't any way that any of the 500,000 fish over Bonneville are gonna spawn. Okanogan river is too warm.  Okanogan lake and oysoyoos lake are too warm too.  There is no amount of rain that will bring these temps down enough

They must think there is still hope for them to spawn or why would they close fishing?

[bear]

The loss is gonna be close to 100%.  There really isn't any way that any of the 500,000 fish over Bonneville are gonna spawn. Okanogan river is too warm.  Okanogan lake and oysoyoos lake are too warm too.  There is no amount of rain that will bring these temps down enough

They must think there is still hope for them to spawn or why would they close fishing?

I talked with the bio who recommended it to close.  He said he can't see any scenario that would cool the lakes enough.  Maybe their hoping something happens that they can't think of.

[270Shooter]

We caught one down at drano b yesterday steelhead fishing. Cant keep them down there either which doesn't make sense to me, there is no way that fish is going to make it up to spawn, you'd think they'd be begging you to keep them.

[MtnMuley]

For some reason, a huge push of sockeye ran up the Okanogan 8 days ago. Water temp was 80.1. Two days after, the shorelines of the Okanogan were littered with belly up sockeye. Shutting it down was the right thing to do this year IMO. Most fisherman loaded up for the first 3 weeks. I'd love to see this fishery remain strong and I feel the best decision was made.

[C-Money]

I too want to see the fishery remain strong. Do the sockeye have a successful spawn up in Canada or are all these fish hatchery raised? I though the Canadians and the tribes raised all the smolts and put them in around Lake Okanogan to keep it going. 

[Okano-gun]

 These sockeye are 100% WILD  FISH. Unfortunately Canada opened a sockeye hatchery last year. The reason these fish are doing so well is they changed the way they manage the water in Canada.  Check out  the Youtube video on the Fish Water Management  Tool  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWqpnS2zqcQ] this explains why the Okanogan Sockeye have been doing so well.

[C-Money]

When will we see this years return? 2017/2018?

[stickbuck]

When will we see this years return? 2017/2018?

The juveniles will usually remain in their birth lake for one to two years. On average, the fish remain in the ocean for two years, then return to spawn when they are three to four years old. 2018 would be the estimated first year of an adult return but it's always possible a few jacks make it sooner.


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[DOUBLELUNG]

The Okanogan River gets too warm for salmon every summer, and dieoffs of pulses of unsuccessful fish in the river are common.  This creates the thermal barrier that makes the fishing so good off the mouth of the Okanogan.  As long as night-time temperatures in the Okanogan River cool below 74F by mid-late September, the fish will make the trip to Lake Osoyoos without trouble.  The concern is water temperatures in Lake Osoyoos, which has much greater thermal inertia than the river.  IF temperatures in the Lake exceed 74-75F by late September, many/most sockeye will die without successfully spawning.

Normal maximum summer temps in Lake Osoyoos are 75F in July and August.  This year it has already hit nearly 79F.  I would not write off the 2018 run yet (there are approximately 120,000 sockeye in the pool, and full spawning escapement needs are 50,000 or so), but the less stress on them in the Brewster pool the better.  The closure is a good idea.  Hope for lots of rain and cold fronts in the Osoyoos basin in September!         

[Hot Lunch]

I was watching the temp gauge on the Okanagon and it looked like it gone down to 70 degrees during the cool spell. Will that move a big push of fish up?

[skidynastar33]

I was watching the temp gauge on the Okanagon and it looked like it gone down to 70 degrees during the cool spell. Will that move a big push of fish up?

No, from what I have seen the last few years. Over 74 nothing goes up. 70-74 maybe a few go up but not much, 68-70 some will go up. Under 68 they all will go up. Probably better now they stay in the Columbia longer cause the lake is so warm.

[MtnMuley]

Normally 75 is the barrier here. This year is was crazy to see a big push head up at 80.1. Monday through Wednesday this week another huge push went up. Nothing today with temps at 100. Really curious to see if they make it with the forecast here near 100° the next several days. I've lived here my whole life and never seen the sockeye floating up river like I have this year. Hoping for a cooler August to get the fish we need up river. Unless something changes water temp wise, I don't see them getting the 50K they need this year. I don't think the sockeye will hang around until September here before they try to push up river. At least I've never seen it here.