Salmon in the Spokane river system

[nwwanderer]

Rather than thread jack on the Roosevelt control issue, here is a new topic.
The completion of Grand Coulee was not the end of the natural runs in the Spokane, Nine Mile and Little Falls, 1908 and 1910 have that honor or blame, pick your poison.
Runs past the falls in Spokane, if they existed after the presence of humans, are not part of the historic record.  Would seem to be a great place for a sockeye run if they could make it.
After the next glaciation I am sure they will be back.  Will humans exist?  We have made it through a few glacial cycles, who knows.

[UBA]

If that ever happens Im sure humans will destroy everything on their way out

[thatdamguy]

Nine mile dam and Little falls had fish ladders when they were constructed, it was the completion of Long Lake dam that had no fish ladder and ended the salmon and steelhead runs to the lower Spokane and of course Grand Coulee that ended the runs all together. 

[nwwanderer]

You are correct, Little Falls and Nine Mile had limited, some say no, fish passage.  Long Lake finished it in 1915 and Grand Coulee probably eliminated the Spokane river genetics in 1939.  Way before that, 1880's, commercial fishing in the lower Columbia greatly reduced the Spokane fishery by targeting those large kings that spawned in the Spokane.

[pd]

Perhaps 10 years ago I saw spawning salmon in the tributaries of Cd'A Lake---I thought they were kings, but not sure.  IDFG put weir nets on the streams to prevent the salmon from climbing the streams (I never heard a good reason for this).  Thus, there already are "re-planted" salmon in the Spokane River drainage.  Perhaps some of you local guys know more about this??

[thatdamguy]

You were correct that they were salmon. There are kokanee and Chinook salmon in lake CDA and they do get swept down stream to the lower Spokane river and to lake Roosevelt during high runoff years. Both populations seem to quite well in CDA and I would like to see them try to introduce the land locked Chinook in lake Roosevelt . As to the weirs I have know idea why IDFG would do that. I heard they are looking into starting programs to reduce the number of pike to ensure the native Kokanee spawn. 

[nwwanderer]

The silvers, (kokanee, sockeye, reds) were planted in the 1930's, the chinook in the early 1980's.  The weirs, I assume, are an attempt to control chinook reproduction and protect cutthroat.  The kings were planted to control the over populated silvers to increase size and health.  Controlling the chinook and pike is a whole other issue.  Cutthroat have a hard time.

[Ridgeratt]

You were correct that they were salmon. There are kokanee and Chinook salmon in lake CDA and they do get swept down stream to the lower Spokane river and to lake Roosevelt during high runoff years. Both populations seem to quite well in CDA and I would like to see them try to introduce the land locked Chinook in lake Roosevelt . As to the weirs I have know idea why IDFG would do that. I heard they are looking into starting programs to reduce the number of pike to ensure the native Kokanee spawn.

On pages 92 of the reg's it does address Land lock Salmon. They pick up some from time to time.

[Toad]

I think that they should be reintroduced into the system after all they are a native species. would be happy to fish salmon and steelhead without having to drive 2 plus hours to the Snake or Brewster
.

[Ridgeratt]

You could always head towards Idaho.


http://www.khq.com/story/32405477/local-fisherman-catches-record-salmon-at-lake-coeur-dalene


Local fisherman catches record salmon at Lake Coeur d'Alene

Posted: Jul 08, 2016 5:20 PM PDT


Updated: Jul 08, 2016 5:20 PM PDT



by Liz Burch, KHQ Local News Producer/Reporter
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Larry Masuda caught the whopping Chinook Salmon at lake Coeur d'Alene.
 
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -
Larry Masuda is making headlines with this picture. It's of him on Lake Coeur d'Alene with a Chinook Salmon he caught. The fish is an incredible 32.64 pounds and 38 inches long.

KHQ confirmed with the Lake Coeur d'Alene Anglers Association that it's the biggest of its kind to be caught in the lake for 22 years.

But it wasn't just dumb luck.  Masuda says he's been fishing on the lake for about thirty years now. He goes about three times a week.
 

[Toad]

Ya I could, but having grown up on the coast I would love to  "river" salmon and steelhead, not land locked lake fish.. if i wanted to do that I could fish Kokanee :chuckle:which i have. Its fun but not the same.

[Ridgeratt]

I would bet 32 pounds where ever it came from could be sporty.

[Toad]

True 32# is a nice fish,but in a lake fish go down, right, left, or where ever. Then you chase in a boat. When you hook a fish that big in the river especially a river the size of the Little Spokane (which used to hold these fish. Which is basically a creek called a river, they can only go up river or down. That my friend is what I'm talking about.