The resurgence of the Lake Pend Oreille fishery in recent years has provided many hours of enjoyment for anglers. In fact, an angler survey completed in 2015 estimated that about 200,000 hours of angler effort took place that year. Kokanee and rainbow trout angling made up much of the effort, but numerous species provided good catch rates and were targeted by anglers. The current diversity of the fishery offers tremendous fishing opportunity for both coldwater and warmwater species.
Managing for a sustainable fishery with the diversity of species present does present challenges. For example, lake trout predation was a primary factor limiting kokanee recovery for well over a decade. Aggressive efforts to remove lake trout involving both the Angler Incentive Program ($15 reward to anglers) and commercial netting equipment have dramatically reduced the size of the lake trout population and allowed a rapid expansion of the kokanee population. Kokanee not only provide a popular fishery, but also are the primary prey source for trophy species, such as rainbow trout.
According to Matt Corsi, Principal Fishery Research Biologist, IDFG's annual surveys indicated that adult kokanee were smaller in size and less abundant in 2017, but that younger age classes of kokanee were strong.
The fact that younger age classes were abundant is encouraging and has two key implications. First, there are many young kokanee to maintain the population in coming years. Second, younger kokanee are major contributors to the diet of rainbow trout and other predator species, indicating that food availability for trophy species is good.
A fairly new player in the Lake Pend Oreille fishery is walleye. Walleye were originally illegally introduced to Montana and have since dispersed downstream into Idaho. IDFG conducts periodic walleye surveys and catch rates have been doubling every three years since 2011. The rapid increase in walleye abundance presents an emerging threat to the Lake Pend Oreille fishery. While walleye are a desirable sport fish to many anglers, they are an effective predator and could jeopardize sustainability of the current fishery if they become too numerous. A summary of walleye monitoring and research results, along with future plans for walleye management will be presented.
IDFG will present a summary of the overall status of the Lake Pend Oreille fishery at the annual "State of the Lake" meeting on Thursday, April 12th. The presentation will include a summary of activities over the past year, fish population status updates, activities planned for 2018, and an update on development of the new statewide fishing rules and fish management plan. Additionally, there will be time for questions from the audience.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Ponderay Events Center by the Bonner Mall north of Sandpoint. The address is 401 Bonner Mall Way, Suite E, Ponderay, ID 83852.
For more information, contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at (208) 769-1414. Individuals with disabilities may request meeting accommodations at the number above; or, through the Idaho Relay Service at 1 800 377 2529 (TDD).