Biologists To Monitor Angling Success On Idaho's Kootenai River

Anglers fishing the Kootenai River can expect to meet an inquisitive Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) creel clerk this year. The IDFG is conducting a creel survey from Deep Creek upstream to the Leonia bridge (Idaho-Montana border). Creel clerks will count, measure and weigh angler-caught fish to determine how size structure of the population is affected by harvest. In addition, anglers will be asked how long they fished and how many fish they released so catch rates can be determined. Data will be used to help evaluate the 2-trout bag limit and 16" minimum size limit for trout initiated in 2002. Prior to 2002, the Kootenai River had a six-trout bag limit, no size limit and no closed season. These were very liberal regulations for a wild trout stream in Idaho. There were indications that fishing pressure was increasing, as more anglers were accessing the river with jetboats, and as float trips originating in Montana were becoming more popular. The Kootenai River in Idaho supports a low population density of trout due to limited spawning and rearing habitat. Nutrients in the river have also decreased since the construction of Libby Dam, resulting in less food production for fish. Increased harvest had the potential to further limit the trout population, so the more restrictive regulations were initiated. Earlier this spring, biologists tagged rainbow trout with $10 reward tags. The tag is a yellow plastic tube about 1 1/4 inches long, and is a little larger in diameter than pencil lead. The tag protrudes from the back of the fish just below the dorsal fin. If a tagged fish is harvested, anglers are encouraged to record the tag number and report it to the Fish and Game regional office in Coeur d'Alene. Anglers are encouraged not to remove tags from fish they plan to release. Any trout, whether tagged or not, must be at least 16" before it can be harvested. The tag return information will be used to determine rainbow trout movements and to learn more about how angler harvest affects Kootenai River trout population dynamics. The ultimate goal of this research is to improve the fishery while preserving the genetic and ecological integrity of Kootenai River rainbow trout. Anglers can play a key role in the management of the Kootenai River fishery through their cooperation with the creel survey and by reporting tagged fish they harvest. With this cooperation from anglers, Idaho Fish and Game can manage for the best fishery possible within the biological limits of the river.