Native Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat have been the target of Upper Priest Lake anglers throughout history. These native species continue to provide good fishing opportunity, but not without some assistance. Since the early 1990’s, non-native Lake Trout have been present in Upper Priest Lake. Lake Trout generally compete with or prey upon Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat. This results in weaker populations of these native species.
To conserve native fish populations in Upper Priest Lake, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has attempted to keep Lake Trout population growth in check by removing fish each year. These removals have occurred as part of a netting program that began in 1997. In 2017, a total of 1,871 Lake Trout were caught during the two-week removal period in May. Catch rate trends indicate that removal efforts have curbed Lake Trout population growth in Upper Priest Lake. And, upward trends in native fish abundance demonstrate that these efforts have been beneficial. As a result, good fishing for native fish in Upper Priest Lake remains because of these efforts.
Conservation of native fish in Upper Priest Lake requires annual maintenance in the form of Lake Trout removal because Priest Lake is a continual source of Lake Trout. Lake Trout have dominated Priest Lake for many years. The Thorofare, an open corridor between Priest and Upper Priest lakes, provides an easy route for wandering Lake Trout to reach the upper lake. Annual maintenance activities on Upper Priest Lake slow the invasion of Lake Trout from below, but also cost money. The future of annual Lake Trout removal is dependent on the ability to fund the effort. Most of the financial burden for Upper Priest Lake work has been met by grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and supplemental funding from the Kalispel Tribe.
The IDFG has been working with local stakeholders to set future management direction for Priest and Upper Priest lakes. Three alternatives were recently identified for broader public input. One option is to maintain the existing management strategy, which favors Lake Trout in the main lake. Another is focused on enhancing Kokanee, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and Bull Trout, which requires managing against Lake Trout in the main lake. Yet another and even more challenging alternative would attempt to strike a balance that allows all species to be present at fishable levels. Stakeholders expressed strong support for conserving native species in Upper Priest Lake, thus each of the management alternatives include continued Lake Trout suppression in the upper lake. Of course, continuing upper lake efforts will be influenced by the management approach chosen. Alternatives that involve reducing Lake Trout in the main lake would make it easier to attain management goals in the upper lake.
Public meetings will be held to discuss Priest Lake management options and solicit input from the public. The first public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 13th at 6:30 PM. The meeting will be held at The Inn at Priest Lake in Coolin. Interested parties are encouraged to attend. Additional meetings will be held later in July in Priest River and Coeur d’Alene. Once additional meeting dates are set, they will be advertised in local papers and on the IDFG website. Additionally, opportunities to provide input for those who cannot attend public meetings will be advertised.