Good Bye Walleye 400 Nets to be deployed in Lake Roosevelt

[buckcanyonlodge]

I was checked by a fisheries guy at a boat launch on Lake Roosevelt on Sat. I brought up the subject of netting in front of my Lodge which has been almost non stop this year. Better get used to more of it. The third week in Oct. Fisheries dept and the tribe will be deploying 400 nets in Lake Roosevelt. 300 will target walleye and smallmouth out to 100 ft in depth. the others will be put in the shallows for pike and smallmouth. Then they will come back in Nov. and do it again. 
4,000 chinook salmon were stocked in the Colville River and another  batch was stocked in the Kettle River..This was done in March. In a netting set a month later they found 3 chinook smolt in the bellies of walleye.   Thus signing the death warrant for walleye and the NON Native Species in Lake Roosevelt. ( aren't squawfish native to the Columbia?)
Hate to tell them the nets do not discriminate and kill everything---even chinook and the HOLY red band trout. The shoreline in front of my place has dead fish washing up at an alarming rate...mostly trout...
Dept. Of Fish & Wildlife and the tribe...NOTHING TO SEE HERE...Move along.

[10Key]

Truly a bummer. I do not understand why walleye and smallies are not embraced up there. That being said, there is no way to wipe out the toothy critters and smallmouth. There is just too much area and too many fisherman that love those species, that won't allow that to happen...Banks Lake is really close

[birddogdad]

4000 smolt in that big a$$ lake? sounds like lip service to me.. they could have put 40000 and it would not make a dent... wonder how much money State /Feds funneled to Tribes for this finger wave stocking? Just another data point with Salmon, Tribes and State... not every questionable act happens in the sound and ocean sides!

[HUNTIN4SIX]

The tribe cant make up their mind on what sustenance fish they want...First it was kokanee, which was a flop.  Then it was rainbow, which was good but not big and good enough....and now they have their sights on the prized chinook. 

One big ole research project on the backs of the fisherman and resource.  Even if and when chinook get established the white man will not be allowed to participate.  Heck look how long the sturgeon project went on before anglers could participate.

[Ridgeratt]

One big ole research project on the backs of the fisherman and resource.  Even if and when chinook get established the white man will not be allowed to participate.  Heck look how long the sturgeon project went on before anglers could participate.

The "Death Barge" was fueling in Kettle Falls on Sunday at Yellow Pine. If you look at the vessel you will know just how much money, they are willing to spend. But I do wonder what Jay is going to do about the Governers Walleye cup? He might just have to rename it to the Salmon Festival.

[MeepDog]

I hope they run these same nets on the mid and lower Columbia. Walleye and bass don't belong so get them out. Eat them all.

[Timberstalker]

 

[buckcanyonlodge]

I hope they run these same nets on the mid and lower Columbia. Walleye and bass don't belong so get them out. Eat them all.

 Then, I hope they run those nets at the PEAK of the Salmon/Steelhead runs.   How about Squawfish...AKA Northern Pikie Minnow...They ARE native to the Columbia...They belong in the Columbia as a native fish.. Yet they  are paying to slaughter them by the thousands..... and by the way Lake Roosevelt is not a "Native" water.MAN made.. with no ocean run fish of any type.

[Stein]

I don't think it has anything to do with science, when you get salmon involved it's more about public perception and the court system (including significant out of state lobbying) than anything else.

[NWBrute]

"by the way Lake Roosevelt is not a "Native" water.MAN made.. with no ocean run fish of any type"

That was not true before 1942, There were many, many ocean going fish in that portion of the Columbia river all the way to Canada. With that said, I don't think they will ever remove all of the species they target, nor will 4000 fish do anything to establish a population in the lake. It is basically a giant waste of tax payer money.

[Jpmiller]

Man, we usually run up in January to fish walleye on Roosevelt, might need to make other plans this year. Bummer.

[baldopepper]

Still plenty of walleye in the lake, but they're taking a heavy toll of anything very big.  Watched them pull nets by my place and didn't see anything but trout in the net.

[MeepDog]

I hope they remove all the trophy class hen walleye that misinformed people keep releasing into the Columbia. Protect the living salmon run, not the vacant upstream habitat that salmon once used. Removing walleye from lake Roosevelt is kind of a joke to be honest. Maybe when the salmon can get past the tourniquet dams with no fish ladders it would be worthwhile.

[GASoline71]

Salmon fishing will be dead in this state in 10 more years.

Walleye are a ball to catch on Roosevelt, and they are exceptional table fare.

Gary

[MeepDog]

Salmon fishing will be dead in this state in 10 more years.

Walleye are a ball to catch on Roosevelt, and they are exceptional table fare.

Gary

Mule deer are hard to hunt, let's just destroy their habitat and raise cows instead? They are easy and taste good.