Deadwood Kokanee Create Fishing Statewide

As the early morning sun hit the banks of the Deadwood River, the Fish and Game crew and volunteers are already hard at work spawning kokanee. "The kokanee often move at night so by morning there are up to fifteen hundred or more stacked up behind the weir and in the trap boxes," said Bob Becker, Nampa Fish Hatchery Manager. Starting in late August, mostly three-year old kokanee migrate out of Deadwood Reservoir and into the streams to spawn. Upwards of 150,000 adults attempted this journey in 2014. On the largest stream feeding the reservoir, 24-year spawning veteran Chuck Kiester pulls a ripe female from the bin. He pushes his fingers along the belly to express the orange pearls into a stainless steel bowl. "It's a fantastic thing," said Kiester. "Every fall, like clockwork, these fish pile into the stream. And we're not the only ones here. It's a feast for osprey, eagles and ravens that have discovered these runs. What an amazing resource." As Kiester talks, another one of the fish crew squirts white milt from the males onto the eggs, swishes the bowl and hands it off to yet another crew member who carefully washes the now fertilized eggs. Kokanee eggs taken from Deadwood are the backbone for Idaho Fish and Game's early-run kokanee stocking program. On an average year the adult run will provide upwards to 7 million eggs, which allow the stocking of over 5 million fingerlings in waters across Idaho. "This is the most important spawning project for early-run kokanee in the state,' said Regional Fish Manager, Joe Kozfkay. "And, it's one of the best examples of what fishing licenses dollars pay for, which is to support, create and maintain Idaho fisheries. After the eggs are washed and cleaned, the fertilized eggs are gently poured into sixty gallon coolers and kept at a relatively constant temperature of around 58 degrees to allow the eggs to Ôharden up.' In the afternoon the coolers are hauled to a backcountry airstrip that sits above Deadwood Reservoir. Here, four to six coolers are loaded into a waiting Cessna and pilot Mike Dorris flies three hours north to another airstrip in Sandpoint, Idaho. The coolers, chockfull of eggs, are taken to the Cabinet Gorge Hatchery to incubate for 50 to 60 days. After they have eyed up, about three million are trucked eight hours south to Mackay Hatchery to be raised to fingerling size or about three inches. The remaining 2 million are kept at the Cabinet Gorge Hatchery and released in North Idaho waters. "The eggs survive better in the cooler water at the Cabinet Gorge Hatchery," said Hatchery Manager John Rankin, "whereas the kokanee fry grow faster in the slightly warmer waters at Mackay Hatchery." When May and June roll around -- eight to nine months after the eggs were taken at the Deadwood River trap -- kokanee fry will be trucked and released in 29 different lakes and reservoirs around the state. "Kokanee fishing is one of the most popular fisheries in Idaho," said Kozfkay, "creating an outdoor experience for anglers and thousands of dollars for local, usually rural economies." While seven million eggs are hauled out of Deadwood, the kokanee fishery at the reservoir remains robust, even benefiting from the project. Kokanee were first planted in Deadwood Reservoir in 1945, fifteen years after the dam was built and reservoir filled. They quickly took to the cold water and multiple streams feeding into the reservoir. Today, kokanee at Deadwood are all natural spawners, and so successful, anglers can harvest up to 25 a day. "Kokanee are so productive at Deadwood, there are just too many," said Kozfkay. "A benefit of the large egg take is it reduces kokanee numbers, which in turn helps increase the average size of the adult, providing a bigger fish for the angler." But as fish managers know, kokanee can be a tricky fish to manage. The populations respond quickly to changes and can decline as quickly as they can increase. Every year, Idaho Fish and Game fisheries staff monitor fish populations and make-up of the reservoir. Kokanee are hauled in, measured, and weighed. The data feeds a population model to help biologists determine the number of kokanee in the reservoir. They also keep track of other types of fish in the system. "Right now, the goal for the Deadwood kokanee fishery is bigger fish." said Kozfkay. To achieve this goal, fish managers cautiously work to reduce the number of kokanee in the reservoir to allow for the remaining fish to have more food and grow to 13-inches, the most desired length by anglers. "Using Deadwood kokanee for our hatchery program works on both sides of the equation. It actually allows us to create a better fishery here at Deadwood Reservoir and provide eggs for statewide needs," said Kozfkay. To view photographs and underwater video of the spawning efforts at Deadwood, go to: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lkrazps09i4rujw/AABEzgw9yaI9CSOQrxkq7NLra.